Rapid identification of species can help counter illegal trade in protected species
%2BITB.jpg) |
| A scalloped hammerhead shark, one of the species recognizable by FAO's new software. (FAO photo) |
ROME—Sharks
may be able to swim more serenely one day thanks to a handy new digital
technique developed by FAO that allows for the quick identification of species
of the iconic fish.
The new iSharkFin software will help protect endangered
shark species and combat illegal trade in shark fins.
It is a tool for custom officers and inspectors at fish
markets as well as for fishermen keen on avoiding the capture of protected
species, said Monica Barone, who led a team in FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture
Department in the development of the software.
Work on the project began in 2013, after five shark
species were added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
How
iSharkFin works
The system is based on machine learning techniques and
provides expertise to port inspectors, custom agents, market inspectors and
fish traders who lack formal taxonomic training.
A photograph is uploaded, the user then chooses a few key
points of the fin shape along with identifying a few other characteristics, and
an algorithm compares the information with its memory bank and identifies the
shark specie. The process takes about five minutes. FAO is developing an app
version of iSharkFin that can be used with tablets or smart phones, broadening
its potential reach and use.
So far the iSharkFin can identify 35 shark species from
dorsal fins—the iconic one atop the animal's spine—and seven from just the
pectoral fins underneath.
Many of the types are those most frequently traded
internationally. More will be added, but as some species are becoming quite
rare, it takes time to gather an adequately complete data.
The software was developed by FAO in collaboration with
the University of Vigo in Spain. CITES and the Government of Japan provided financial
support.
Shark
survival
Introducing iSharkFin will allow authorities to identify precisely
what is the species from which the fins were removed.
With iSharkFin the data on photographed fins can be used
to extrapolate the presumed volume and weight of the whole animal, leading to a
back-door calculation of aggregate shark harvesting, said Barone.
Consequently, it will also help to produce better
official statistics on shark catches which may be underestimated when the whole
animal is not landed due to "shark finning," a practice involving
slashing off a shark's fins and dumping the animal back into the sea. Many
nations have declared shark finning illegal and insist that shark fins may be
traded only if the whole carcass is brought to shore aiming at protecting a
group of animals that take a long time to mature and produce few offspring.
The challenges of effective management in high seas
areas, including responsible fishing and conservation of species at risk, are
being discussed this week at a high-level workshop at FAO.
Comments
Post a Comment