Data to support aquaculture and fisheries
To be able to optimise output, the aquaculture industry and fisheries need reliable information about the environmental characteristics of the ocean. Recently, information and techniques for remote sensing of the Earth and oceans have been consolidated and the availability of Earth observation data has improved. The benefits of Earth observation for aquaculture and fisheries have also been demonstrated, but haven't been applied – yet. Scientists of the EU-funded SAFI (Support to aquaculture and fishery industry) initiative worked to foster interactions between the remote sensing community and marine stakeholders. They took advantage of the latest developments in Earth observation and created tools that use spatial data to support marine aquaculture and fishery activities. During the first part of the initiative, the researchers analysed all the available environmental data and selected the most relevant parameters. They then used these parameters to develop indicators for marine environmental characteristics that are useful to aquaculture farmers and fishers. For the benefit of the aquaculture industry, they developed indicators for factors such as the optimal location of aquaculture cages and water quality monitoring. For the benefit of fisheries, the researchers investigated indicators for aspects like the abundance, location and reproduction of certain fish species and molluscs. An online tool provides users with access to the SAFI environmental database. The website also provides indicators, maps and time series relevant to the user’s location and area of interest. Target users include people in the industry, public administrators in charge of aquaculture or fishery planning, and the public. The researchers tested the success of their tools and indicators in European locations, as well as countries outside Europe. Stakeholders contributed feedback about the tools at a two-day workshop in Morocco. By creating novel indicators for fishery management and aquaculture development worldwide, this initiative puts data to use to address the challenge of global food security. The SAFI tools facilitate more efficient production for the aquaculture and fisheries industries, and there is potential to expand the tools’ application.
Keywords
Aquaculture, fisheries, food security, remote sensing, Earth observation, SAFI
