At Vericatch, we believe that technology can help create a profitable and sustainable future for fishers and fisheries.
It’s no secret that the environment – and the oceans – are at risk, and our future is closely linked to the well-being of the ocean. Therefore, we all need to adopt better practices that ensure a healthy ocean and resilient livelihoods. Robust data is at the heart of those better practices and at the core of sustainable fisheries management as it helps build economic, social, and environmental value, the three pillars of sustainability.
Founded on the west coast of Canada in 2006 by fishers and technologists who saw the benefits of working together, we develop efficient catch reporting and seafood traceability software. Our solutions empower fisheries to verify their catch, make data-driven management decisions, and leverage value throughout the supply chain.
We recently moved into a new office in the heart of downtown Vancouver and opened a satellite office in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Our suite of software solutions is configurable, secure, intuitive, and designed to assist with data collection, management, and reporting.
FisheriesApp: Catch reporting that puts the needs of fishers first
Our FisheriesApp solution is the data collection tool that does it all – making it quick and easy for fishers to collect and manage all their fishing data in one place and streamlining data management for fisheries managers. And it’s about to get better.
We have recently updated FisheriesApp in consultation with industry stakeholders to create the most flexible data collection system on the market. While it offers robust compliance reporting, it also brings value back to fisheries by saving time, minimizing errors, and operationalizing data. We’re excited that it will be ready to support Canadian ELOGS in accordance with DFO’s specifications in the spring of 2022.
Key features include:
- Collect now, report later – our software works regardless of connectivity, so there are no delays, lags, or catching up after the fact
- Integrates with our ecosystem of products, including KnowYour.Fish
- Offers powerful fisheries and catch analytics and a growing suite of Precision Fishing tools – sensitive species heatmapping, seafood traceability, vessel tracking etc.
- Includes multiple language support for French, English, and Spanish, with more languages to come
- Interfaces with government and regulator databases around the world
KnowYour.Fish: Leading seafood traceability software
KnowYour.Fish is designed to build a traceable and sustainable supply chain for commercial fishers and harvesters, commercial fisheries, NGOs, suppliers, retailers, and consumers. We work directly with fisheries and harvesters, using verified catch data from the original harvest to track seafood to the end retailer, restaurant, or consumer. Each participant in the supply chain interacts with KnowYour.Fish and the information they provide creates a unique CatchID which is like a passport for your fish.
Key features include:
- Follows the GDST standard for interoperability
- Auto links harvest and catch details ranked against well-recognized sustainability programs such as Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch and Ocean Wise
- Meets local, export, and import regulations – offers highly auditable data processes to assure and improve quality and eliminate seafood fraud
- Includes analytics and real-time seafood supply compliance reports to ensure retailers and those in the service industry are meeting their commitments and quickly identifying issues of concern
- Offers API support for third-party source data and supply chain automation integration
Our catch reporting and traceability tools in action
Fraser MacDonald, owner and captain at Goodfish Seafood, a fishing and direct sales business launching this spring, knew they wanted to incorporate a traceability program into their business that “was at arm’s length because of the credibility that infers but was also convenient for us and our customers.” They chose our FisheriesApp and KnowYour.Fish solutions because “Vericatch is progressive in how they deliver technological solutions to fisheries.” The data Goodfish is collecting via KnowYour.Fish is also what’s needed for DFO catch reporting compliance, further streamlining their operations.
MacDonald sees the real value of traceability from both a business and a consumer side. “I’m hoping that traceability becomes more of a requirement and that customers will start to demand it when they make purchases. When consumers have access to information, it allows them to make good decisions, and we want them to have the information they need to support what’s important to them.”
He feels that almost all fisheries – whether they’re focused locally or on export markets – can benefit from traceability and being able to trace seafood all the way from the boat through the supply chain to the end customer. “A robust traceability program that tracks how and where seafood was caught gives consumers around the world a chance to decide what fishing methods they want to support and how they want to use their buying power.”
As our ecosystem of products syncs with each other, many users start with FisheriesApp and then add KnowYour.Fish to their arsenal later. Or they may recognize the value of starting with both, as Goodfish Seafood is doing. Each product is designed to help those in the industry understand and grow their businesses, and they add value as stand-alone solutions or as part of a suite so users can choose what best meets their specific needs. We also support our customers every step of the way, offering in-depth training and ongoing support to ensure that they benefit from everything that we offer.
Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit is a Marketing Specialist at Vericatch. She is happy to hear from readers and can be reached here. To feature your company with Industry Focus, please drop us a line at info@em4.fish. You’ll find many more Industry Focus business profiles in our Blog section.
