Teem Fish, launched by Ecotrust Canada in 2019 and acquired by SnapGroup LP in 2021, began developing its onboard monitoring design and program expertise in​ 2011​​ ​in response to a demand from Dungeness crab fishermen in Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

The crab EM program started way back in 2001 as the fishermen were facing internal issues with trap theft and tampering, to quote Jillian DiMaio, fisheries director at Teem Fish. “The fishermen ​not only ​asked for this​, they championed its inception​.”

According to DiMaio, the Teem Fish technology has always been evolving and continues to do so. “Everything we do is a ​chance to innovate and improve on the value back to the users,” she says. “We work with our customers to design the systems that work for them and what they want.”

Noting that much of the data the Teem Fish electronic monitoring systems collect is required to meet regulations pertaining to things like bycatch and location, DiMaio acknowledges that regulatory demands alone may not provide enough incentive for fishermen to invest in an EM system. “We operate in a regulatory space,” she says. “But we have to be fisherman-facing and respond to what they need.”

To that end, Teem Fish​ delivers ​rugged cameras and equipment that can be adapted to a wide range of vessel sizes and fisheries. “Our ​cameras are custom​ ​designed and built for the fishing industry​,” says DiMaio. “Though they cost a little more, they are made so they don’t have to be replaced every few years.”

The Teem Fish equipment runs on 12- or 24-volt electricity with generally low power requirements. “It’s backed with a 2-year warranty, and we provide support for the life of the equipment,” says DiMaio. “And we’re working with electronic logbook companies to integrate data collection with environmental observations like the moon phase and weather.”

DiMaio notes that tying all this data together in a logbook will enable fishermen to use science to confirm anecdotal observations.

All the Teem Fish systems are AI-enabled, DiMaio says. “We’re using AI on the edge and on the back end,” she says. “That is, in the field in real-time and for data analysis.” On the edge, the Teem Fish system can use AI to turn the camera on only when there is someone on deck, or using some other parameter, and on the back end, it can use AI for rapid data review—both of which can save vessel owners money. “One of the biggest costs of electronic monitoring is data storage,” says DiMaio. “So, we are using AI to reduce the amount of data that needs to be stored. There’s no dead data of an empty deck and nothing happening.”

As Teem Fish continues to evolve, DiMaio points out that in addition to developing technology and expanding AI-generated efficiencies, the company is also working with users such as First Nations, to develop monitoring programs. “We’re not just providing equipment,” she says. “We’re looking at the monitoring needs and helping develop entire systems, including what data is collected and how it is used.”