The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Joint Research program has awarded a grant worth USD$30,000 to the Tropical Futures Institute (TFI) at James Cook University (JCU) in Singapore. The program highlights applied research that focuses on practical solutions related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, the blue economy (referring to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem), marine plastic debris, and good maritime governance.

TFI at JCU in Singapore – in collaboration with Sam Ratulangi University in Indonesia, and working together with Eachmile Technologies in Singapore – won the “Blue Economy” and “Marine Plastic Debris” category with a research project titled “Mobile technology as an incentive for sustainable fishing practices”. The implications behind the research was previously shared by Dr Neil Hutchinson, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science at JCU in Singapore, at this year’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition.

Dr Hutchinson says, “In many places there is a market for small, juvenile fish. And the problem is that if fish are caught and sold before they grow into adults, they can’t breed – they can’t produce more fish to keep up population numbers. So, by catching and selling these small fish, the fishers are unfortunately depleting the very same resource that their livelihoods depend on.”

The research aims to build upon a traceability technology, developed by Eachmile Technologies, originally envisaged to provide a full history of a fish’s journey from the point where it was caught to the plate of the consumer. It utilises a mobile phone application which rewards users in the supply chain with credits every time they enter data about the fish they are dealing with.

By providing rewards to users for tagging and releasing juvenile fish, the idea is to encourage fishers to release small, juvenile fish that they may catch and only keep those that have reached adult size. Ultimately, the research project seeks to utilise the technology to improve  fisheries management.

Learn more about "Mobile Technology as an Incentive for Sustainable Fishing Practices".

Find out more about the Tropical Futures Institute.

Discover further information on areas of research strength and future collaborative opportunities at the Tropical Futures Institute at James Cook University in Singapore.

Contacts

Dr Neil Hutchinson [email protected]
Media: Pinky Sibal [email protected]