Summary
This study evaluates the applications, challenges, and opportunities of adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce bycatch and discards in fisheries based on a literature review and 17 in-depth interviews with fishery stakeholders. AI use cases included real-time species identification, on-board automated sorting, "smart" fishing gear, environmental-DNA sampling, and more robust, data-driven decision making. More widespread adoption of AI in fisheries is hindered by technological stage (most AI tools are developmental, pilots, or prototypes), as well as limited acceptance/trust among fishers.