Japan Group to Launch AI Service for Saury Size Predictions

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan Fisheries Information Service Center will start a service next fishing season that shows expected fishing grounds for saury by size class, based on analysis using artificial intelligence technology. The Tokyo-based group of fisheries organizations provides information on fishing and ocean conditions. From 2020, the group provides its predictions of likely saury fishing spots using AI, based on seawater temperature changes and past fishing records. The accuracy of the predictions has improved year by year. The system can now even estimate fish sizes in the likely fishing grounds. The size classification is based on weight. The new service will divide fishing spots into two–one estimated to contain 70 pct or more of saury weighing under 100 grams and the other with a relatively high proportion of midsize to large fish weighing 100 grams or more. On the sea chart, small fish will be marked with dots, and midsize and large fish with bigger marks. According to the group, saury catches from August to the end of September this year totaled about 28,500 tons, a 2.4-fold increase from the same period last year. The fish were larger than usual, with some weighing 200 grams, likely due to an abundance of food. In recent years, large saury weighing over 150 grams were rare, resulting in limited data on such fish. “If large saury continue to be caught, AI will be able to tell midsize saury from large fish, weighing over 120 grams, with high accuracy,” a group official said. The fishing spot forecast is integrated into a system called “Ebisu-kun,” which provides data such as seawater temperature online. Predicted fishing grounds for the current day to up to two days ahead will be displayed on sea charts for fishers. “Most ships use Ebisu-kun, and I would greatly appreciate further improvements in accuracy (such as in size classification),” said Kohei Oishi, an executive of the national saury fishery cooperative known as Zen-Sanma. After years of poor catches, saury hauls have improved. Small saury, often used for canned food and feed, tend to be lower-priced, while midsize and large saury, mainly for consumption, usually fetch higher prices. Selective fishing boosts not only fishers’ earnings but also the supply of large saury to consumers. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]