Unmanned Vessels Revolutionizing the Fishing Industry: Applications and Challenges

With the continuous advancement of smart fisheries, the utilization of unmanned vessels in modern fisheries has seen a significant increase. These vessels, known for their outstanding autonomous navigation and path planning capabilities, have become integral to the operations of contemporary fisheries. In recent years, unmanned vessels have not only successfully replicated the traditional roles of fishery monitoring and supervision but have also mitigated the challenges posed by the high costs and inefficiencies associated with manual supervision. This dual capability has significantly broadened the scope of their application within the fishery sector, underscoring their substantial potential for future utilization and development. This paper provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the application of unmanned vessels within the domain of intelligent fishery supervision. It delves into several key technological aspects, including autonomous navigation, sophisticated path planning algorithms, advanced water environment monitoring techniques, and the integration of these technologies in aquaculture systems. Each of these areas is critically examined to assess current capabilities, identify technological gaps, and outline potential future research directions that could further enhance the efficacy of unmanned vessels in smart fishery operations. The findings from this study reveal that when equipped with high-resolution sensors and intelligent systems, unmanned vessels can significantly enhance the precision and efficiency of fishery supervision. These vessels enable real-time monitoring of fishing activities and the automatic identification of illegal fishing practices, which is crucial for maintaining sustainable fishery operations. Moreover, the deployment of unmanned vessels reduces the dependency on human labor, leading to lower operational costs and increased overall efficiency. In the realm of water environment monitoring, unmanned vessels have demonstrated superior performance. They improve the real-time acquisition of environmental data and enhance monitoring accuracy, which is vital for maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems. These vessels also contribute to the reduction of capital expenditure by minimizing the need for extensive equipment investment. Additionally, their ability to operate effectively in harsh and challenging environmental conditions further underscores their value in modern fisheries. In aquaculture, the integration of intelligent feeding and medicating technologies in unmanned vessels has led to significant improvements in operational efficiency. These technologies ensure optimal feeding schedules and precise medication dosages, which contribute to better health outcomes for farmed aquatic species. Consequently, the overall cost of aquaculture operations is reduced, making these practices more sustainable and economically viable. The paper concludes by discussing the numerous opportunities and challenges associated with the broader application of unmanned vessels in fisheries. It identifies several key areas with significant development potential, including the low-cost production of unmanned vessels, the integration of multifunctional capabilities, and the development of new technologies and innovative application scenarios. Moreover, the paper highlights the importance of enhancing the stability and reliability of unmanned vessels, particularly in complex and dynamic environmental conditions. It also emphasizes the need for the design of integrated multi-parameter detection systems and the development of reliable self-powered modules to support long-term autonomous operations. Expanding the application scenarios for unmanned vessels is also crucial, as it will enable their deployment in a wider range of fishery-related activities, further driving the evolution of smart fisheries.