This project is led by Lunenberg, NS-based ABCO, in partnership with Clearwater Seafoods, also in Lunenberg. With a total project value of $1.1 million, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $459,200, with the balance of funding coming from project partners.
The project aims to modernize and improve the collection of crucial benthic habitat data to support the sustainability of Canada’s commercial bottom fishing industry using cutting-edge USVs. These USVs, equipped with new R2Sonic sensor technology, will be deployed and retrieved during active trawling and dredging operations, improving the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of data collection. Accessibility of hydrographic surveys and ecosystem data benefits both the fishing industry and the broader ocean ecosystem, improving the understanding of habitats and fishery population dynamics while allowing the industry to further reduce its bottom footprint.
The project will drive sustainable economic growth in one of Canada’s largest ocean sectors by promoting more efficient and environmentally conscious fishing practices. In addition to supporting commercialization, it will help expand Canada’s technical workforce by training USV pilots, including retired captains, and employing recent graduates for data analysis roles.
By optimizing dredging operations and fostering job creation across rural Nova Scotia, this project supports not only its immediate partners but also the wider commercial fisheries sector, helping to build a more sustainable and prosperous future for Canada’s ocean economy.
Through Ambition 2035 and together with Canada’s ocean community, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is bold in their ambition to grow Canada’s ocean economy 5X to $220 billion by 2035. Continued investment in the accelerated development and commercialization of globally relevant, made in Canada, ocean solutions, including the projects announced, will help us realize this ambition. Read more about recommendations to help achieve this transformational growth opportunity outlined in Charting the Course to 5X Growth in Canada’s Ocean Economy and the projected benefits to Canada here.
