Science & technology | The ones that got away

A device called Nemo will shed light on small-scale fisherfolk

No one knows the size of their catch

Net benefits

FISH ARE being plundered from the ocean at an alarming rate. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation some 90m tonnes of commercial catch are hauled from the sea every year. And that is only for legitimate, commercial fishing vessels. Even setting aside the huge amount of illegal fishing that goes on, few authorities monitor the activities of the 50m or so fisherfolk who operate small boats in local waters with the aim of feeding their families, or of selling their catch harbourside or into local markets. So an attempt is now under way to collect some of these missing data.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “The ones that got away”

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