A network of researchers and companies from five autonomous communities, coordinated by Paloma Herrera, a professor at MEMIC, is working on the Digipesca Project (https://digipesca.webs.upv.es/), a project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food through NextGeneration funds as part of of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan. Its purpose is to support the “blue growth” strategy for the Spanish Mediterranean fishing industry by promoting the digitization and commercialization of the sector, as well as adding value to fishery products.
Fishing in the Mediterranean is in the midst of a deep economic, environmental, and social-labor crisis, which has multiple causes. This situation stands in contrast to concepts such as “blue growth,” which recognizes the importance of the seas and oceans as drivers of the European economy due to their great potential for innovation and growth.
Addressing the fisheries crisis and incorporating the fishing sector into the concept of “blue growth” means embarking on a transformation toward a model that is far more sustainable in every respect. With this in mind, this project—titled “Digitization and Valorization of Fisheries in the Spanish Mediterranean”—was launched. It aims to promote the digitization of the fishing sector, the enhancement of fishery products, and knowledge transfer, with the aim of fostering transparency and facilitating decision-making regarding the socio-environmental sustainability of fishing activities. The project, therefore, centers on achieving three objectives:
Promoting the Digitalization of the Fishing Sector in the Mediterranean. Digitalization should enable the improvement and greater efficiency of processes related to fishing, through the use of various technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Although some of this technology is already being used in the fishing sector, its adoption in traditional fishing remains rather limited. Therefore, this project will analyze the current level of digitization, promote the dissemination of these technologies, encourage the exchange of experiences among various autonomous communities, and support pilot projects.
Improving the marketing and value addition of fisheries in the Mediterranean. The current marketing model cannot guarantee either the sustainability of fishermen’s incomes or the sustainability of fishery resources. Therefore, auction mechanisms at various fish markets will be analyzed to develop artificial intelligence applications that improve marketing. Likewise, new marketing systems and new strategies for adding value to fishery products will be explored.
Communicate and disseminate the project’s results among all the stakeholders involved. The goal is for the results to reach the sector and aid in decision-making. To this end, a series of communication and results-sharing initiatives is being planned.
To achieve the proposed objectives, a network has been formed that spans the Spanish Mediterranean, comprising Knowledge Spaces from five autonomous communities (Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Murcia, and Andalusia). Specifically, researchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, University of Cádiz, University of Murcia, University of the Balearic Islands/CSIC, University of Girona, Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the company Blue Room Innovation. It is expected that the generation of knowledge and the transfer of results will contribute to the benefit and sustainability of the fishing sector, as well as to the creation of a collaborative network among institutions, research centers, and the Mediterranean fishing sector itself.