“New Applications for Fish Finders: Balancing Fisheries and Environmental Conservation”

Initiatives related to blue carbon, including seagrass bed surveys utilizing fish finders, have recently been announced.
Until now, drones and satellite imagery have commonly been used to monitor the distribution and growth of seagrass beds. However, the latest presentation introduced a more cost-effective and efficient method that uses the acoustic signals of fish finders.

Targeting seaweeds and seagrasses such as wakame and eelgrass, the technology detects echoes from underwater vegetation on the seafloor. By analyzing acoustic data, it can extract information on the height, area, and volume of seagrass beds. The technology also enables the creation of distribution maps and may be applied to estimating carbon sequestration and supporting applications for the J Blue Credit system.

Another notable feature is that data can be collected simultaneously while conducting fishing operations, making it a promising technology for balancing fisheries and environmental conservation. Fish finders have traditionally been used to locate schools of fish, but their application to seagrass monitoring could also contribute to studying fish habitats and spawning grounds.

Seagrass beds play an important role as nursery grounds for juvenile fish and habitats for marine life, supporting fishery resources. Since the decline of seagrass beds is believed to affect fish catches, this technology is attracting attention as an initiative that supports both environmental conservation and the sustainable development of the fisheries industry.

As these efforts continue to expand, fish finders are expected to be utilized in new fields such as marine environmental surveys. The practical application of this technology is anticipated as a means of conserving seagrass beds and supporting sustainable fishery resources.