​​​​​​​Electronic technologies and artifical intelligence applications are vital to expanding fisheries-dependent data collection and accessibility, and improviing data quality and validity, while making programmes more cost-effective and truly real-time. But what is the right tool for the job? What are the implementation challenges? How can the data be used? How do you engage with fishers? With contributions from diverse perspectives, this session will help you desgin a monitoring programme for the 21st century.

Fisheries continue to develop and implement electronic technologies (ETs) to improve the timeliness, quality, cost effectiveness, and accessibility of fisheries-dependent data. 

Electronic monitoring (cameras, gear sensors, GPS), electronic reporting, and other ETs, together with advancements in computer vision and machine learning, will provide innovative and integrated data collection to address increasing scientific and management information needs. As technology advances, it is important to review what is available, share lessons learned, and be sure that programmes are selecting the ETs that fit their data collection needs. 

The process of incorporating ETs into a monitoring approach has significant challenges, including modernizing back-end data infrastructure, validation, optimizing for automation and integration, adapting to emerging needs, and providing data at a scale that will support future needs.

This session will promote and share the progress made on technology-based, at-sea fishery monitoring, practicalities and challenges of implementation, opportunities for further integration of data collection, extensions of data applications, and analytical approaches and innovation. Contributions are welcome on the following three main topics:

• Designing technology-based, at-sea monitoring from different stakeholders' viewpoints. What are the goals and data needs? What are the right tools for data collection? Can fishers improve operational efficiency using data from ETs? Can ETs address the needs for more industry transparency?
• Understanding the different uses of technology-based, at-sea monitoring information. Can information from an enforcement programme be used for science, and vice versa? How is data from ETs integrated into a decision-making process? How have ET programmes evolved to benefit more stakeholders? What are the applications of ETs in conservation? Business planning? Traceability and marketing?
• Sharing best practice of ET programme implementation. How can we improve data quality, drive innovation, and cross-sectorial collaboration? How can we encourage industry participation? How can you integrate data from EM with machine learning applications?