The 2024 ICES Annual Science Conference is September 9-12 in Gateshead, United Kingdom.
One session that may be of interest to EM4Fish readers is Theme Session H, hosted by members of the WGTIFD (Working Group for Technology Integration for Fisheries-Dependent Data). This session’s prompt is “How can camera-based electronic monitoring improve bycatch management?” Its aim is to demonstrate the potential of camera-based monitoring approaches (including where artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) tools are actively employed) to enhance detection of bycatch events and improve estimates, particularly for protected, endangered, and threatened (PET) species.
As the session’s coordinators point out, these bycatch events can often be rare, so the development of AI/ML tools can be challenging due to the limited amount of applicable training data. Session H will explore how these challenges can be addressed, such as aggregating training imagery across multiple electronic monitoring (EM) programmes in shared image libraries.
Session objectives are:
- to identify datasets and initiatives that support sharing of training datasets and promote the development of common image libraries to advance AI/ML
- to share progress from bycatch monitoring EM programs, including implementation practicalities, challenges and/or opportunities for further integration of data to improve fisheries management
Session coordinators are seeking contributions regarding:
- examples of training datasets and shared image libraries across agencies and programs, their availability, governance, and potential to collect imagery by other sources
- examples of EM programs focusing on bycatch monitoring that have contributed to science, stock assessments, control, management, etc
- examples of how EM bycatch monitoring products can be provided to best suit stakeholders’ needs for improving fishing practices and minimising impacts.
Here is the call for abstracts.
UK: Rebecca Skirrow
