Author: Hildur Ýr Þráinsdóttir

Many fisheries are well managed under an ecosystem-based, precautionary approach, and we have seen stocks and ecosystems successfully rebuilt through good management, yet important challenges still remain.

In Europe, Bottom trawling has damaged 79% of coastal seabed, and 25% of coastal area have lost vital habitats. Across the oceans, 38% of fish stocks are overfished. Over a million of Protected, Endangered and Threatened species are caught per year. This needs to change – but how?

Watch the video and see how MarineGuardian will address these challenges.

This summer, our partner Heriot-Watt University did trials to test the latest developments of Smartrawl, an innovative solution advanced in MarineGuardian. Smartrawl is tackling one the largest challenge faced in trawling: the bycatch of species and their high risk of mortality.

Smartrawl is an in-water sorting device which is retrofitted inside the net of a commercial fishing trawler. The system has three components:

a stereo camera, taking images of animals in the trawl

a computer, with artificial intelligence to detect, identify and size animals

and a gate, controlled by the computer to either catch or release animals controlled by a latch.

Smartrawl is designed with, and for, UK fishers, and their vessels to reduce discards and bycatch. The entire system needs no cables from the vessel and can be pre-programmed dependent on the fishers’ desired catch. Fisheries Innovation & Sustainability is the main partner behind the financing of the new gate for Smartrawl which was designed by Almond Engineering Limited. Thanks to them this innovative solution is reaching a new milestone in tackling bycatch from trawling.

In the last month they have manufactured a new, improved and more robust gate. At the beginning of September, they tested it in the Firth of Forth (just outside Edinburgh), evaluating if the gate would react well at being towed behind a small vessel. The tested performed showed the gate responded well, performing and rotating smoothly.

Innovation doesn’t come without challenges — and that’s exactly why we test!

The FishScanner, developed by Star-Oddi in collaboration with Hafrannsóknastofnun – Marine & Freshwater Research Institute, is being tested. Designed in two versions – a scientific model with stereo cameras for detailed data collection, and a commercial model built to be compact and non-intrusive – the FishScanner is set to transform how we monitor fish stocks.

During the most recent capelin survey between Iceland and Greenland, the scientific FishScanner was installed in the survey trawl. As fish passed through, the device counted them and measured their length in real time, allowing weight estimates of fish entering the trawl.

During this trial on board Árni Friðriksson (one of the research vessels from MFRI), the FishScanner was tested with a higher frame rate than before, resulting in darker pictures due to fewer photons per frame at the same light intensity.

But when we worked with capelin, we needed red light because their behavioural reaction to light is strong. However, everything else worked smoothly.

These are valuable lessons that will directly improve the device with stronger light, but still red.

The next trial is scheduled for January – stay tuned as we continue to refine this technology and push boundaries in fisheries research.

The month started with the second scientific committee meeting where the partners had the opportunity to meet in person and discussed the following steps to take on this exciting journey ! 

At the same time was held the forum about Energy transition in Fisheries, organised by the Nordic Council of Ministers where Matís had a keynote on fleet policy and fisheries management where MarineGuardian was introduced. 

Straight after, the fisheries conference, Sjávarútvegsráðstefnan was organised in Harpa, Reykjavik, and where multiple MarineGuardian partners shared interesting insights about the project.  

Þorsteinn Ágústsson from Trackwell had a presentation about the importance of Artificial Intelligence in the fisheries industry and how getting more data allows better decisions, while Pamela Woods from Hafrannsóknastofnun a chaired the session from Fisheries Management Systems of Coastal States.

Sveinn Margeirsson from BRIM took part in an interview and presented how the collaboration between industry and research is done within MarineGuardian. Multiple other MarineGuardian partners attended the conference as well and shared project insights. 

There’s something special about meeting face-to-face.

Over the past two days, the MarineGuardian team was reunited in Reykjavík for our second scientific committee meeting, a time to reflect, share, and look ahead together. We reviewed the work done in the last three months: the tests we’ve run, the obstacles we faced, and the progress we made towards healthier seas.

Then, we turned our minds toward the next six months, exploring how we can enhance the collaboration and increase our impact. Through three creative workshops, we stepped out of our usual roles to imagine a bright future and seeing the oceans through the eyes of different stakeholders, and imagine a world where today’s issues are only a bad memory.

One workshop was focused on drawing and expressing who we are within MarineGuardian: what drives us, and what kind of future we hope to build together.
Stay tuned, we have some beautiful outcomes to share soon!

We reflected on real-world impact, analysing how our solutions are shaped by real-world needs and what barriers and enablers will be linked to their development and commercialisation.  

Meeting in person reminded us that collaboration is more than collecting, analysing data and sharing goals, it’s about building trust, curiosity, and shared purpose.

These two days have strengthened the bonds that will carry us through the next four years of this exciting journey….not alone as our sister project, Eco-Catch, was with us and we started exploring new ways to work hand-in-hand for sustainable oceans.

Step by steps and hands to hands, we are building a more sustainable ocean future.

In September, MarineGuardian took part in high-level discussions that connect science, policy, and practice in marine protection.

At the Danish EU Presidency in Nyborg, Denmark, our coordinator Jónas Viðarsson joined forces with Elsa Cuende (AZTI, WP2 leader), as well as C. Manago M and Harald Hasler-Sheetal (ICES) to showcase MarineGuardian’s work and strengthen ties with key European initiatives and our sister project ECO-CATCH Project.

Following that, Jónas, Caecilia, and Harald represented MarineGuardian at the All-Atlantic Forum (AAORIA), contributing to the global dialogue on sustainable oceans. They had the opportunity to give talks about the project and shared a booth with BioProtect Project showcasing their common efforts to an ocean in better health in the future. The coordinators even had the opportunity to talk about them for an interview on the Iceland radio RÚV.

Meanwhile, Ana Marçalo (CCMAR) brought valuable insights to the ICES Working Group on Bycatch of Protected Species (WGBIC), sharing research on bycatch in Portuguese beach seine fisheries and highlighting MarineGuardian’s role in tackling this pressing issue.

Finally, two of the Icelandic partners Hafrannsóknastofnun – Marine & Freshwater Research Institute and BRIM represented respectively by Haraldur A. Einarsson and Sveinn Margeirsson where featured on the Matís Iceland podcast Matvælið and discussed MarineGuardian and marine research, sustainable fisheries and the adaptability of the industry. The podcast (in Icelandic) is available here.

From the North to the south of Europe, these exchanges help amplify MarineGuardian’s impact, ensuring our voice is heard across science, industry, and policy making communities.

And this is only the beginning — stay tuned as we continue to build bridges and scale our collective efforts for healthier oceans.

This summer, our partner CCMAR kicked off a new initiative to tackle one of the biggest challenges in coastal fisheries: accidental bycatch of dolphins and other cetaceans in the Portuguese beach seine fishery.

In June, we started by talking directly with fishers across several beaches on the western coast. Through detailed questionnaires, we learned that bycatch rates vary from beach to beach—and identified at least one area where urgent action was needed.

With the summer season in full swing, we launched a pilot mitigation trial in this hotspot. Two vessels are now testing two different brands of pingers (acoustic deterrent devices), using the same experimental design.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll assess both the effectiveness of these pingers in reducing bycatch and their practicality for fishers. Just as importantly, we’re keeping close communication with the skippers who are voluntarily working alongside us. Their feedback is key to finding real-world solutions.

This is just the first step. Based on the results, we hope to expand these trials to other beaches and continue building partnerships with local fishing communities. Together, we can work toward more sustainable fisheries and safer seas for cetaceans.