This solution is developed by:
Small-scale fisheries play a vital role in coastal communities, yet they often face increasing regulatory requirements to document catch, fishing effort and environmental interactions. In beach seine fisheries in particular, there is often no simple digital system to record daily activity, making reporting time-consuming and inconsistent.
The MarineGuardian mobile application aims to support small-scale fishers by improving catch and effort registration, enhancing monitoring of marine mammal interactions, and ultimately helping to avoid unwanted interactions.
The challenge
Small-scale fishers face growing pressure to demonstrate what they catch, where they fish, and how their activities affect marine ecosystems. However:
- Reporting tools are often not adapted to small-scale operations
- Catch and effort data may be recorded manually or inconsistently
- Interactions with marine mammals are difficult to document systematically
Without easy-to-use digital tools, compliance can be burdensome and data gaps may limit effective fisheries management.
The solution
This MarineGuardian solution focuses on developing a dedicated beach seine module within an existing mobile application for small-scale fishers.
The app will:
- Enable daily recording of fishing activity and effort
- Improve registration of marine mammal interactions
- Support fishers in avoiding areas or practices associated with interactions
- Transfer data wirelessly to a secure database
By simplifying reporting and data transmission, the app is designed to integrate smoothly into daily fishing routines.
Development and progress
The mobile application solution is currently under discussion.
- Development of the beach seine menu extension is being planned
- First field trials are expected during the 2026 fishing season
Expected impact
The mobile application is expected to contribute to:
- Increased registration and transparency of fishing effort
- Improved monitoring of marine mammal interactions
- Better-informed management of small-scale fisheries
- Reduced administrative burden for fishers
- Enhanced sustainability and compliance
By providing accessible digital tools for small-scale fishers, this solution supports a more transparent and environmentally responsible coastal fishing sector.
