Huawei and Simula Consulting have proposed a method that can keep humpback salmon, or red salmon, in the river system and allow native Atlantic salmon to continue swimming towards the breeding area.
This technology relies on identification software to distinguish two species. An artificial intelligence model has been trained with thousands of images of different river animals, and it is capable of distinguishing two types of salmon.
The fish swim into an underwater cage in a river, and the artificial intelligence (AI) system will separate humpback salmon from Atlantic salmon. Humpback salmon are placed in a separate aquarium where fishermen can regularly take the fish out, while Atlantic salmon are allowed to return to the river system. This system can also help track the number of each species in the river.
This technology has been tested in the Kongsfjord and Storelva rivers and the results obtained are very encouraging. More than 6,000 humpback salmon have been successfully rescued from the river on their way to the breeding area, with the technology achieving identification accuracy of up to 99%.
In addition to a high success rate, this technology also helps save a significant amount of labor.
According to Huawei, humpback salmon was introduced into the waters around Norway in the 1960s to help increase food supply. However, since then, they have intruded into the Norwegian river system and posed a threat to native Atlantic salmon, carrying diseases, disrupting the food chain and negatively impacting the ecosystem. The number of Atlantic salmon has decreased by 50% since the 1980s.
Humpback salmon reproduce at high speeds and are known to be ferocious, making it difficult for other river fish species to compete for essential resources.
This technology, described by Huawei as "the first in the world", has impressed after initial success, and the Norwegian fishing industry is seeking to take another step and deploy it in other riverine networks.
Mr. Tor Schulstad, administrator of the Berlevag JFF hunting and fishing association, shared: "Norwegian wild salmon is being threatened by other species, including humpback salmon and farmed salmon. A monitoring system using artificial intelligence is helping to prevent this and allow sustainable river management in the future.
Norway is not the only place to deal with invasive fish species. For example, in Florida, lionfish are becoming a problem for species living in coral reefs, thus affecting fragile ecosystems and leading to coral damage and death.
