Gone Fishing: Drones Show Potential to Aid Tuna Industry

The recent release of drone video footage by Sekol, a Southern Australian fishing organization, has provided the latest entry in the conversation about the potential role of drones in the fishing industry, as well as to police poaching. 

The video footage, intended for promotional purposes, displays how drones can prove helpful to identify schools of tuna, pinpointing both their size and location.  

Though Australian Southern Bluefin Association chief executive Brian Jeffriess, said they are not actively investing in the technology at this time, the potential benefits to the industry are apparent. 

However, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles could be utilized for more than just some good fishing.

Drones not only have the capability to locate schools of fish, but also to spot illegal poaching, which threatens both the Bluefin industry and, more importantly, the existence of the species. 

While governments across the board struggle to find effective ways to control the issue of poaching, private organizations like EYE Remote Solutions have taken matters into their own hands–or rather, into the skies.

EYE Remote Solutions did a pro-bono UAV project based in South Africa that uses drones to identify poaching problems and research solutions that could combat the illegal killing of the highly endangered white rhino.  

It is estimated that about 21,000 white rhinos remain in existence, with about 1,200 killed each year. 

 At that rate, the white rhino would be extinct within 8 years. 

Using drones, EYE Remote Solutions gathered more information on the security breaches that threaten the white rhinos, and demonstrated the potential role of drones in preventing animal poaching. 

While UAV anti-poaching initiatives remain in the hands of private organizations, it is clear that drones could benefit as a watchful eye, both at land and sea.