January 26, 2015?Pelagic Data and P.T. Bali Seafood International were awarded first prize January 23 in a challenge competition sponsored by Maximizing Agricultural Revenue through\r\nKnowledge Enterprise Development and Trade (MARKET), a project managed\r\nby Nathan Associates. The award was announced at a technology innovation forum organized\r\nby MARKET and USAID?s Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) in Bangkok.

The Challenge Competition

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The competition sought innovative information and communication technology that can make\r\nwild-caught fishery and aquaculture operations in Asia more sustainable and\r\ninclusive, while capturing value in supply chains and improving rural incomes. The\r\ncompetition was open to NGOs, nonprofits, universities, and for-profit entities\r\noperating in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, the\r\nUnited States, and Vietnam. Competitors had to

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• Have a tested tool that involves a digital\r\nplatform for receiving and housing data and a strategy for deploying the tool across\r\nthe region,
• Show how the tool provides value to the seafood\r\nindustry, and
• Be willing and able to work with sector\r\nstakeholders.

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Technology applications were judged on the basis of six\r\ncriteria, including sustainability, scalability, and potential to improve\r\nenvironmental performance of fisheries and aquaculture. The applications of\r\nthree finalists?Pelagic\r\nData and P.T. Bali\r\nSeafood International, WWF Philippines\r\nand TraceAll Global, and SmartCatch\r\nwere selected for presentation at the forum in Bangkok on January 22.

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The Applications

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At the forum, Gerald Knecht, CEO of P.T. Bali Seafood\r\nInternational, described a solar-powered device developed with Pelagic Data.\r\nThe device collects data such as GPS location, gear type, and storage\r\ntemperature so fishermen can show that their products have been handled properly\r\nand caught legally. The device automatically collects data, which is then\r\nloaded onto cloud-based servers. All data, analytics, and alerts can be\r\nvisualized on a dashboard.

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Jose Ingles of WWF Philippines described his group?s design\r\nfor a catch documentation and monitoring system\r\nfor yellowfin tuna handline fisheries. Cloud\r\nstorage allows for easy access and retrieval and will support fast, accurate,\r\nand tamper-proof traceability, as well as direct communication with the databases\r\nof local fishery bureaus.

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Robert Terry of SmartTech described CatchCam, a device that records catch composition and marine\r\nconditions. Fishermen use the system to monitor the content of nets in\r\nreal-time before harvesting, thus reducing unwanted bycatch. Tamper-proof data are\r\nstored in a secure cloud that can be accessed for audits and to verify\r\nsustainable fishing practices.

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The Forum

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About 100 representatives of fisheries, aquaculture\r\norganizations, seafood companies, technology providers, and investors attended\r\nthe two-day forum. Twenty organizations and companies discussed the current and\r\npotential role of mobile technology in fishery and aquaculture development and\r\nimprovement. Topics included

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• Ecosystems and co-management
• Small aquaculture farm management, market\r\nlinkages, and international standards
• Traceability and transparency in seafood supply\r\nchains
• Financing sustainability and inclusiveness\r\nthrough PPPs and risk management
• Governance, innovation, and community\r\ninvolvement necessary for technology to have impact.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOn February 11, MARKET will hold a panel\r\ndiscussion?An ASEAN Movement to Ensure\r\nSustainable and Responsible Seafood to Serve the Global Marketplace?at Seafood Summit in New Orleans.