APPLICATION OF DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES TO THE FISHERIES

FISHERIES HAVE BECOME AN INCREASINGLY MORE SIGNIFICANT FOOD SOURCE. CURRENTLY, 30 PERCENT OF THE PROTEIN CONSUMED BY AMERICANS COMES FROM THE SEA AND THIS PERCENTAGE IS GROWING. OVER THE PAST DECADE, FISHERIES HAVE EXPERIENCED MORE REGULATION BECAUSE OF BYCATCH-THAT PORTION OF A FISHERMAN'S CATCH THAT IS NOT THE PRIMARY TARGET. BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED REGULATION CAUSED BY BYCATCH, FISHERIES MANAGEMENT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT. TECHNIQUES THAT CAN AUTOMATICALLY AND NON-INTRUSIVELY DETECT, CLASSIFY, AND QUANTIFY FISH POPULATIONS ARE OF INTENSE INTEREST TO ALL LEVELS OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT. TECHNOLOGIES ARE NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT TO MONITOR THE FISHERIES. ONE AREA THAT WILL IMMEDIATELY BENEFIT THE FISHERIES IS A MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE TO AUTOMATICALLY DETECT AND CLASSIFY FISH. A SONAR SYSTEM WITH THESE CAPABILITIES DOES NOT CURRENTLY EXIST. THE TRANSITION OF ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE (ASW) SONAR SIGNAL CLASSIFICATION TECHNOLOGY TO THE FISHERIES WOULD BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO AMERICAN FISHING FLEETS, AMERICAN FISHERIES MANAGEMENT GROUPS, AND TO THE DWINDLING AMERICAN MANUFACTURING BASE. RESEARCHERS HAVE DEVELOPED A FISH DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM THAT UTILIZES THESE DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES.