Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Fish-X (FISH-X- PROVIDING A EUROPEAN FISHERIES DATASPACE THROUGH A CONSULTATIVE APPROACH)
Reporting period: 2022-06-01 to 2023-11-30
In the EU, the massive ongoing digital transition creates an opportunity to reconcile environmental and socio-economic issues within the fisheries and seafood sector. Yet, this transition poses particular challenges for small-scale fisheries (SSF). Enhancing the sustainability of EU fisheries and protecting marine ecosystems is essential, yet the practical and financial challenges of implementing digital tools on small boats are significant. Still, the implementation of digital tools tailored for SSF could transform the sector by improving safety at sea, ensuring compliance, fostering sustainable and transparent practices and increasing the visibility and economic returns for fishers. That being said, an effective implementation of digital tools to empower SSF requires collaborative action and co-management, incentivising fishers to collect and share data and enabling stakeholders, such as maritime authorities, to access and use this information to support sustainable EU fisheries.
Being co-funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, Fish-X has been initiated to identify opportunities and bottlenecks regarding the digitisation of EU fisheries and to develop an interoperable technological framework to support this process, especially for SSF. Accordingly, the Fish-X consortium is developing a new secure and interoperable digital platform that encompasses 1 the Fish-X Data Space, 2 the Insight Platform, and 3 the Traceability Platform.
These three components constitute the infrastructure designed under the Gaia-X framework, appropriate to ensure data sovereignty and security for EU fisheries data sets. Fish-X does not aim to replace the existing monitoring and control systems presently operational in EU Member States, mainly designed for larger vessels in application of the control Council Directive (EC 1224/2009). It will rather offer a parallel option for collection, AI-supported analysis and sharing of fisheries data, able to cover the high numbers of SSF vessels that are especially relevant to the revised Control Regulation.
The development of the digital platform is accompanied by 3 Use Cases in Portugal, Croatia & the German Baltic Coast. Further, the consortium is conducting different stakeholder engagement formats (e.g. Working Groups) to gather relevant insights regarding the requirements, needs and barriers for a just digital transition. Gathered insights are also worked out in an EU Fisheries Roadmap for Digitalisation. The three main objectives are: 1 Develop an interoperable Fisheries Data Space, 2 Develop an Insight Platform, and 3 Conduct Use Cases.
The direct project impacts include:
• Integration of recreational and SSF in the Monitoring and Control System of EU Member States,
• More efficient monitoring by Fisheries authorities,
• Digital transition supporting fisheries compliance,
• Fisheries traceability for fisheries agencies and end-consumers,
• SSF knowledge for institutions and scientific bodies,
• Increased safety for SSF communities.
The international project consortium consists of the coordinator TransMarTech SH and the partners north.io OURZ, EUTECH (all Germany), CLS (France), Sciaena (Portugal) and WWF EPO (Belgium) with their affiliates WWF ANP (Portugal), WWF MMI (Italy) and WWF Adria (Croatia).
Being co-funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, Fish-X has been initiated to identify opportunities and bottlenecks regarding the digitisation of EU fisheries and to develop an interoperable technological framework to support this process, especially for SSF. Accordingly, the Fish-X consortium is developing a new secure and interoperable digital platform that encompasses 1 the Fish-X Data Space, 2 the Insight Platform, and 3 the Traceability Platform.
These three components constitute the infrastructure designed under the Gaia-X framework, appropriate to ensure data sovereignty and security for EU fisheries data sets. Fish-X does not aim to replace the existing monitoring and control systems presently operational in EU Member States, mainly designed for larger vessels in application of the control Council Directive (EC 1224/2009). It will rather offer a parallel option for collection, AI-supported analysis and sharing of fisheries data, able to cover the high numbers of SSF vessels that are especially relevant to the revised Control Regulation.
The development of the digital platform is accompanied by 3 Use Cases in Portugal, Croatia & the German Baltic Coast. Further, the consortium is conducting different stakeholder engagement formats (e.g. Working Groups) to gather relevant insights regarding the requirements, needs and barriers for a just digital transition. Gathered insights are also worked out in an EU Fisheries Roadmap for Digitalisation. The three main objectives are: 1 Develop an interoperable Fisheries Data Space, 2 Develop an Insight Platform, and 3 Conduct Use Cases.
The direct project impacts include:
• Integration of recreational and SSF in the Monitoring and Control System of EU Member States,
• More efficient monitoring by Fisheries authorities,
• Digital transition supporting fisheries compliance,
• Fisheries traceability for fisheries agencies and end-consumers,
• SSF knowledge for institutions and scientific bodies,
• Increased safety for SSF communities.
The international project consortium consists of the coordinator TransMarTech SH and the partners north.io OURZ, EUTECH (all Germany), CLS (France), Sciaena (Portugal) and WWF EPO (Belgium) with their affiliates WWF ANP (Portugal), WWF MMI (Italy) and WWF Adria (Croatia).
One important achievement was the publication of the preliminary version of the EU Fisheries Roadmap for Digitalisation, which will be further developed until the end of the project. For the Data Space, technical partners achieved a better understanding of its concept, a necessary step for defining the architecture of the Insight Platform. This ensures its development and necessary integration of data sets, formats and types required for the Fish-X Data Space. Through dialogue with several stakeholders (including fisheries data experts), better insights into the technical requirements were gained.
The work on the Insight Platform resulted in the production of a detailed functional specification. Developers ensured a realistic specification that included attractive functions such as fishing effort density maps. The testing of AI tools to detect fishing gear on existing vessel tracks was conducted. However, the respective algorithms are still in the learning phase and require adaptation for small-scale vessels involved in the Fish-X Use Cases in Portugal and Croatia.
The Baltic Use Case aims at the technical development of the Traceability Platform and Application. The key outcome was the implementation of the Baltic Use Case with 7 trial partners that agreed to collaborate in the co-development approach of the Traceability Platform. Additionally, the Traceability App for consumers has been set up with basic functions.
The work on the Insight Platform resulted in the production of a detailed functional specification. Developers ensured a realistic specification that included attractive functions such as fishing effort density maps. The testing of AI tools to detect fishing gear on existing vessel tracks was conducted. However, the respective algorithms are still in the learning phase and require adaptation for small-scale vessels involved in the Fish-X Use Cases in Portugal and Croatia.
The Baltic Use Case aims at the technical development of the Traceability Platform and Application. The key outcome was the implementation of the Baltic Use Case with 7 trial partners that agreed to collaborate in the co-development approach of the Traceability Platform. Additionally, the Traceability App for consumers has been set up with basic functions.
The first half of the project focused on setting the framework and connecting with key stakeholders.
Publications including a discards paper, an engagement report and the EU Fisheries Roadmap for Digitalisation were released.
Valuable insights were collected from stakeholders at several online and in-person events. The first Fish-X conference in Brussels, entitled “The digital transition: New technologies to support sustainable small-scale fisheries” was one of the highlights.
Further, the architecture for the Fish-X Data Space was initiated and prepared for further development, including the required integration of the data sets, formats and types.
The Insight Platform is under development and mock-ups for web access were prepared.
It contributes to illustrating the potential of the digital transition in the SSF sector, including simplified accessibility to dynamic data sets such as catches and fishing activities for any new application.
The use cases in Portugal, Croatia and the Baltic Sea were launched. 31 VMS devices in Portugal and Croatia have been deployed to collect fisheries data. Seven partnerships were signed for the Baltic use case on traceability and the co-development and design of the technical solution was prepared. Furthermore, the DEC activities were established to inform relevant stakeholder about project developments. Lastly, two independent ethics advisors were appointed and started to work on monitoring the ethical aspects of the project.
Publications including a discards paper, an engagement report and the EU Fisheries Roadmap for Digitalisation were released.
Valuable insights were collected from stakeholders at several online and in-person events. The first Fish-X conference in Brussels, entitled “The digital transition: New technologies to support sustainable small-scale fisheries” was one of the highlights.
Further, the architecture for the Fish-X Data Space was initiated and prepared for further development, including the required integration of the data sets, formats and types.
The Insight Platform is under development and mock-ups for web access were prepared.
It contributes to illustrating the potential of the digital transition in the SSF sector, including simplified accessibility to dynamic data sets such as catches and fishing activities for any new application.
The use cases in Portugal, Croatia and the Baltic Sea were launched. 31 VMS devices in Portugal and Croatia have been deployed to collect fisheries data. Seven partnerships were signed for the Baltic use case on traceability and the co-development and design of the technical solution was prepared. Furthermore, the DEC activities were established to inform relevant stakeholder about project developments. Lastly, two independent ethics advisors were appointed and started to work on monitoring the ethical aspects of the project.