Wednesday, September 9, 2015

An Emerging Global Information System Will Dramatically Improve the Management of Worldwide Marine Living Resources

The world’s explosive exponential growth in the sheer volume of data (information) that is becoming instantaneously available along with ever-improving search and analytical tools will drive rapid and unprecedented advances in humanity’s ability to sustainably utilize our marine living resources.  The timing of this emerging Global Information System will greatly aid us as we face a rapidly changing global climate and an ever-increasing world population that both severely constrain the sustainability of our marine living resources.

Aspects of this emerging Global Information System:

·         We are now in the era of “Big Data” in which human knowledge is more than doubling every 12 months and as crazy as it sounds, this doubling will happen every 12 hours as our Earth becomes covered with ubiquitous high-tech sensors as the “internet of things (IoT)” expands.  Please see our past blog about these high-tech sensors and their relationship to fishery management.  
   
·         Advances in algorithms and artificial intelligence driven by software programs and ever-increasing computer power (keep an eye out for future quantum computing)  are rapidly expanding our ability to utilize this massive tsunami of data to enable the following  actions:
                    - react in real time to changing conditions
                    - better predict and anticipate coming changes & mitigate “black swan” events
                    - formulate more efficient action plans that consider the unintended consequences of our
                      decisions (that can produce the both negative and positive feedback loops)
    
The main take-aways for our seafood industry:

·         Better overall efficiency in fishery management that will finally address discards and waste
·         Better control of IUU fishing and seafood fraud
·         Better control of human rights abuses on the high seas and within foreign countries
·         Better fishery stock information provided to developing nations enabling improve sustainability    

In short, the most amazing aspect going forward may be our utter awe at the incredibly rapid pace of change caused by this new era of “Big Data”.  Not only will our seafood industry be impacted but also every aspect of our personal lives.  Let us all bravely embrace the positive tools that will be to our avail to drive a more sustainable and just future for all the citizen of our beautiful blue planet.

Go Blue! - For Our Environment - For Sustainability - For Our Health

Sincerely,

David Glaubke, Director of Sustainability Initiatives