The critically endangered North Atlantic right whale has long been at the center of conservation efforts in the U.S. With fewer than 370 individuals remaining, including just 70 breeding females, the need for urgent action is clear. Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the most significant threats facing this iconic species, with scars from such encounters visible on nearly every surviving whale. To ensure their recovery while preserving the livelihoods of the fishing community, solutions must urgently balance conservation with sustainable fishing practices.
The Buoy app is critical to this effort. Designed to support on-demand fishing, this new mobile app empowers fishermen to fish sustainably while protecting these endangered whales. By enabling users to see the location of both their and others’ gear, the app helps make on-demand and ropeless fishing a viable and scalable solution by avoiding accidental placement of gear on top of already deployed gear. It eliminates the need for fishermen to tether buoys or ropes to their crab and lobster traps sitting on the ocean floor, eliminating the rope in the vertical water column and removing the risk of entanglement for whales. Fishermen can then continue to fish during otherwise closed seasons, helping sustain their livelihoods while protecting the whales.
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Through a $1.48 million grant awarded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) through the New England Gear Innovation Fund (NEGIF) program, Ai2’s EarthRanger team developed Buoy with fishermen in mind. The mobile app not only allows users to see their gear locations but also lets them tap into their gear for more details, including the date and time it was deployed, its current coordinates, its trawl lines, and the device IDs. All these details are available on a map, providing a quick and visual way for fishermen to see the full picture. Additionally, Buoy’s design prioritizes the protection of personal information and trade secrets. The app displays nearby fishing gear to help prevent accidental equipment entanglement but does so anonymously and only within a 5-nautical-mile radius of the user.
Buoy is now available for download on Google Play and Apple’s App Store. It has been beta-tested with real-world users to ensure it meets the needs of fishermen, regulators, and conservationists alike.
Looking ahead, the app will introduce exciting new features to enhance functionality and usability:
- Set and haul gear: Use Buoy to manage gear from manufacturers without their own software solutions.
- Custom map layers: Download and visualize maps directly within the app for added context and planning.
- User login: Support for different roles and permissions tailored to each user’s specific needs.
- See owned data: Access information about your gear, ensuring only owners can view non-anonymous details.
- Offline access: View important information even without an internet connection.
This announcement marks another milestone in Ai2’s ongoing commitment to protect wildlife and ecosystems while supporting livelihoods. With catalytic funding from the NFWF and partners like NOAA and gear manufacturers, Buoy is supporting the adoption of on-demand fishing while addressing the urgent crisis facing the North Atlantic right whale.
Download the Buoy app today on Google Play or in the App Store to start using on-demand fishing gear in a whole new way.