Boat to Plate mobile app traces the history of a fish through the supply chain

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland (GMRI) has partnered with The Nature Conservancy, Ecotrust Canada, and Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association to develop an app that tells people the history of a piece of fish by using their smartphone.

The Boat to Plate project is under development after receiving a $175,000 federal government grant and will be launched in two years’ time as a smartphone app.

The fishermen involved in the project have been testing cameras and computers mounted onboard fishing vessels which could over time replace people who currently monitor catch data.

The app will bring together data about the different pieces of the supply chain; including catch, landing, auction, processing and delivery.

Early results show the equipment is returning accurate and reliable catch data. With these positive results, the team plans to move past the testing phase to support implementation of an electronic monitoring program in 2016.

Gulf of Maine Research Institute is working with Trace Register and Vancouver-based This Fish to bring the project to fruition.