An artificial intelligence (AI) based solution is being piloted in Saldanha Bay to safeguard mammals against entanglement.
Also read: ActionSA calls for stricter conditions at CoCT’s marine outfall
The project, a collaboration between Vodacom South Africa and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), aims to leverage cameras and hydrophones to alert mussel farmers to whales in the Saldanha Bay Aquaculture Development Zone (ADZ). The system is also designed to activate the ADZ incident and Emergency Response Protocol in case of an entanglement.
Sitho Mdlalose, Vodacom South Africa CEO, says the initiative forms part of Vodacom’s goal to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations as a technology provider.
‘In South Africa, our coastal waters play a vital role in contributing to our socioeconomic growth through industrial operations and tourism but also to our environment, hosting a diversity of species and minimising the adverse effects of climate change events.’
Cape {town} Etc discount: See the beauty of Cape Town with a 60-minute cruise on a Catamaran or Schooner for just R155 (valued at R310). Get the deal here.
Recently, rope-grown mussel farms have been identified as a low-impact, protein-rich source of seafood as traditional fishing communities face challenges such as overfishing, pollution and climate change. However, Engineering News reports, the risk of entanglement of marine animals such as whales remains.
‘Rope-grown mussels are a fantastic source of sustainable seafood. All efforts to ensure that this industry remains on our WWF Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (WWF-SASSI) green list are to be welcomed,’ says WWF South Africa WWF-SASSI manager Pavitray Pillay.
‘We are delighted that Vodacom has chosen to put the time, efforts and resources into this pilot project, which has great potential to scale elsewhere in other ADZs around the coast.’
The early warning system will also gather scientific data by recording marine life’s movement, which could prevent ship strikes for other superpods such as seals and dolphins.
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under R100 000. Find car listings here.
Also read:
Picture: NOAA / Unsplash