The future of fish is uncertain. For the first time in history, fishers are faced with the possibility of being excluded from their historic fishing grounds — displaced for conservation and other economic opportunities. But, fishers see and touch more of the ocean than any other stakeholder and should be considered an important ally in ocean monitoring, management, and conservation. The eOceans® Smart Fishery Tracker™ was designed to help position fishers in this role, to effectively and efficiently improve their efforts, eliminate the barriers that lead to unreported and unregulated fisheries, and enable them to play a critical role in the management and conservation of our ocean.
Ethics of ocean data: Caution for coastal communities and the growing blue economy
A rapidly growing number of organisations collect, distribute, and use ocean data from the backyards of communities that depend on the ocean. Use of these data could upend local ways of life. Below, I elaborate on the issues, share perspectives, and describe why and how the eOceans® platform was designed with ethics at its core.