SafetyNet

02/06/2026

9 months of hard work to make this happen.

The task: fit a CatchCam camera inside a FloMo, transmit live images wirelessly from the codend back to deck, and finally, give the crew control to open the codend remotely.

So if there is something down there you don't want to bring onboard, you can release it.

Mission accomplished!

A big well done to Chris Lewis, Ian Wightman, Ulf Lundvall, Martin de Beer and the FloMo team, and to Glen Aspin and the team at Plant & Food Research.

29/05/2026

What if you could see what was in your net before you hauled it?

Our co-founder Tom Rossiter is in Tasman Bay, New Zealand, working with FloMo and Plant & Food Research on exactly that ⬇️

A live wireless (acoustic) connection between the net and the boat.

That way, you can see in real time what is happening down there.

And if there is something in the net that shouldn't be, you can send a signal to open the codend and release them.

Before the haul. Without stopping the operation.

Still in commercial trials, but the results so far are promising!

26/05/2026

'Every day's a school day. And in fisheries science, maybe it is time we recognised that the fishermen have a lot more to teach."

Our co-founder Tom Rossiter recently shared his thoughts on how fisheries science is quietly changing.

The short version: public funding for research has fallen sharply. The demand for better data has not.

The gap is being filled by fishermen, organisations and businesses working together in ways that didn't happen 25 years ago.

Some great examples of people leading this work are Steven Mackinson with the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association , Kenny Coull at SWFPA , Elena Balestri at the Scottish Fishermen's Federation , and Mike Roach at the NFFO.

And a new approach emerging through the Cornish Fishermen's Science Board, where fishermen identify the challenges and scientists help find the solutions.

Businesses like Fishtek Marine , MarFishEco and Pot Fishing Agency (Thomas Schweeger ) are part of this too.

And the most important people in that process remain the fishermen themselves.

When they lead data collection, everyone benefits.

The Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation Marine Institute - Foras na Mara

15/05/2026

Today is , a 24-hour celebration of the people and stories behind the UK fishing industry 📢

We're joining in by sharing a glimpse of what we see from every deployment.

The codend. Bycatch reduction mesh. Hoppers at work. Doors in action. And the list goes on.

To support skippers and crew in their decisions at sea.

Our work would not be possible without their feedback, guidance and collaboration to make cameras that are tough enough for the job.

Fishing News

15/05/2026

Petri Suuronen and the ISCG team are back out in Finland.

This time with new traps and a new location. But with the same goal of improving trap-net efficiency.

And CatchCam is back in the water alongside them.

Last year's trials in Lake Tarjanne revealed that fish presence doesn't equal fish entry, and that predator behaviour inside the trap was invisible from catch data alone.

This deployment takes that work further.

More to follow soon. For now, have a look at last year's footage: https://buff.ly/OPh4DRh

ISCG - International Seafood Consulting Group

13/05/2026

This is what the inside of a trawl net looks like ⬇️

From headline to codend, this underwater footage was recorded by David Stevens and his crew aboard Crystal Sea in the Western Channel.

What did they see?

Catch inside codend.

Escape behaviour around SMP.

Gannets and dolphins interacting with gear.

And a clearer picture of what's actually happening between shooting the gear and hauling it back.

Watch the full interview with skipper David: https://buff.ly/aIUXyCF

The Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation
Scottish Fishermen's Federation
Crystal Sea fishing

09/05/2026

Brilliant couple of days at the Scottish Skipper Expos 2026 in !

Great to catch up with so many of you and demonstrate how can be integrated into operations. Both to capture underwater footage of gear in action and identify where small tweaks can improve catch and gear performance.

We really enjoyed catching up with so many familiar faces, and to finally meet some of our customers and collaborators in person. Events like this are a reminder of how collaborative the can be.

Big congratulations to Scottish Fishermen's Federation for Horizon Watch being recognised as Initiative of the Year at the Fishing News Awards. Congrats also to Martyn Boyers on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award — and to everyone else recognised!

A special thanks also to Sharon Boyle The Skipper and everyone involved in organising the event.

If you missed Ian, Tom, Grace, Ulf and Antón, at the event and would like to chat about implementing into your operations, send us an email here: https://buff.ly/wXSTJpQ

Shaun Doran Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Marine Institute - Foras na Mara SWFPA

06/05/2026

"If your net is light on the bottom you're not going to be catching species like monkfish, and you are just wasting fuel."

🗣️ Ellis Fullerton, Skipper of Angelina (LK 377)

Ellis had been fishing for years before he mounted a CatchCam to his net.

With the camera, he could see whether the hoppers were hard down or bouncing along.

And when they weren't, he could fix it before wasting another tow.

🗣️Tom Robertson, skipper of Brighter Hope (LK 98), found the same thing.

"We have door spread sensors but no exact way of knowing what our nets are doing until we started using CatchCam. The video put my mind at ease."

This is why the Shetland Fishermen (SFPO) invested in CatchCam units for the fleet.

Access the underwater footage from these deployments here: https://buff.ly/671upFM

Scottish Fishermen's Federation

06/05/2026

Great chat with Jim Cowie and Stefan Tijsen,

Listen to the full episode here: https://seafoodmatterspodcast.com/

Seafood Matters Podcast

Fishermen have always respected their catch — but today, the pressure isn’t just from the sea.

It’s coming from outside the industry. NGOs, welfare debates, and shifting expectations are changing how fishing is done and how it’s judged.

In this episode, I sit down with Stefan Tijsen and Tom Rossiter for a conversation about what’s really happening.

From groundbreaking claw-binding technology that’s set to change the global shellfish sector, to selling catch directly from boat to buyer, this is lived experience — not theory.

Is the industry adapting to reality, or reacting to pressure?

04/05/2026

For decades, has relied on experience, intuition and indirect data.

You set the gear. You tow. You analyse the catch.

But what if that’s only half the story?

In the Western Channel, aboard the 24.5m twin-rig trawler Crystal Sea, skipper David Stevens and his crew set out to see what really happens between shooting the gear and hauling it back.

Working with the The Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation and CatchCam Technologies, they deployed underwater cameras and environmental sensors across the net, from headline to codend, tracking exactly how fish move through it.

As it turns out, the footage demonstrates that roughly 3 out of 4 fish interacting with the gear never make it to the codend. And much more.

See it for yourself and watch the full interview with David: https://buff.ly/UoApOxi

Fishing into the Future
Scottish Fishermen's Federation Crystal Sea fishing
Clyde Fishermen's Association