Subject:	Tuna Ric...what are you doing!
Date:	Mon, 15 Aug 2016 21:42:40 +0000 (UTC)
From:	Ric Wiles <ricwiles@sbcglobal.net>
Reply-To:	Ric Wiles <ricwiles@sbcglobal.net>
To:	Ric Wiles <ricwiles@sbcglobal.net>

Hi friends and family,

It looks like I'll be departing for Micronesia, specifically Palau, right after Labor day to start installing the EM systems on some of these long line fishing vessels. Some of you have shown an interest in what it is I will be doing. There is a short two part film accessed by the link below ("CNN's Great Big Story"). This should help explain it better than I can...and there is some cool scenery to look at too!

Cheers,

Ric

As the world population reaches 8 billion, we must rise to the challenge of protecting biodiversity in a human-dominated world. That's where the Conservancy comes in. We are investing in new ways to use science and technology to catalyze change on a grand scale. Below you can read about how we are employing these skills to revolutionize endangered species recovery on Santa Cruz Island and sustainable fishing in the Pacific Ocean.

Keeping an Eye on Tuna: Electronic Monitoring Goes Live in Palau

Sixty percent of the world's tuna is caught in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean--and when it comes to fishing, this is the Wild West. A handful of island nations have the difficult task of monitoring fishing across thousands of miles of open ocean. In many fisheries, human observers are the primary means of oversight. They sit on boats and log the catch as it comes in, but that's not always cost-effective, efficient or safe.

In the longline tuna fishery, human observers cover only 2% of the fleet. Without observers, we don't have enough data on tuna catch, poaching, or the number of sharks, turtles and rays that are caught. But where observers don't work, electronic monitoring does.

Electronic monitoring involves a combination of on-vessel video cameras, GPS systems and sensors to record all the catch on fishing boats. We've implemented these systems here in California with groundfish, and now we're beginning to scale them across the Pacific's longline tuna fleet. Our first wave of installations goes live this month on seven boats in Palau. At the same time, we are developing computer vision software to analyze the data as it streams in. With innovative technology like this, we are poised to revolutionize data collection and accountability in fisheries around the world.

Watch the two-part video on CNN's Great Big Story to learn more about our work with tuna fishermen in Palau.