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A Day on the Water in Largs
It was one of those calm November mornings off Largs where the sea looks deceptively gentle. On deck of the Eilidh Anne, skipper Ian Wightman welcomed Linda Wood, Iain Mahood and Carlos Sonderblohm from Community Catch and Tom Rossiter from CatchCam Technologies aboard for a field trial — and, hopefully, a few langoustines.
The catch, however, was elusive. “Community Catch came out to see (pretty unsuccessfully) some langoustine being caught and then eaten ,” Ian joked afterwards, recalling the day.
Laughter aside, the day marked an important step forward in helping small-scale fisheries like Ian’s prove their sustainability. Not through anecdotes, but through clear evidence collected during a normal day at sea.
Image above: Carlos Sonderblohm, Iain Mahood, and Linda Wood aboard the Eilidh Anne during the Largs deployment. Image on the left: Community Catch team members Abbie Topping and Elodie Le Cornu, aboard the Eilidh Anne and ready for the field trial.
Why Small-Scale Fisheries Need Better Tools
Despite providing around 40% of the world’s total catch, small-scale fisheries struggle to access the certifications that open doors to better markets and fairer prices.
Programs like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have helped many large fleets demonstrate sustainability, but smaller vessels frequently find the process too complex or too costly.
Community Catch was founded early this year to change this. This initiative is designed specifically for small-scale fisheries, promoting social responsibility and environmental sustainability to empower small scale fishers to gain market access.
Community Catch is creating a fair, accessible route to certification that reflects the way these fisheries actually work. And that’s where CatchCam Technologies also fits in. By providing the practical and reliable tools that make gathering underwater data possible.
“The more evidence we have, the fairer the conversation becomes for everyone: fishermen, scientists, and seafood buyers.”
Building Data-Driven Fisheries
It’s about keeping things simple: “If it works without getting in our way, that’s the dream,” says skipper Ian Wightman, who’s been trialling CatchCam equipment aboard his vessel Eilidh Anne.
The Nephrops fishery, also known as Scotland’s langoustine fishery, that Ian works in is now one of five fisheries globally to enter the Community Catch initiative and complete the self assessment against the comprehensive standard.
Once complete, a stakeholder consultation takes place, and then an independent CAB assessment. If it meets all requirements, the fishery achieves certification. But if it lacks to do so, it enters a Community Catch FIP to address gaps, with a decision expected by February 2026.
Participation goes beyond assessing stocks and environmental impact. It also relies on extensive engagement with the fishers through the use of a fisher voice survey, along with benchmarking animal welfare, climate impact, and community impact. Thus, it creates a truly comprehensive picture of a fishery.
For Community Catch CEO Linda Wood, the visit to Largs was about witnessing responsible fishing in action.
“We were really impressed by how clean the catch was. Seeing the gear on the seabed gives a completely new perspective on how fishermen like Ian are working."
For us at CatchCam Technologies, the day also demonstrated how CatchCam cameras and SeaSensor systems can help fleets improve efficiency while collecting data that supports transparency and certification.
Monitoring Marine Regeneration in Largs
Between a few jokes and a stubborn life jacket, the team also deployed a buoy-based CatchCam Biodiversity system to monitor the local conditions within Caurnies Quay Mooring site, which is undergoing regeneration.
The solar-powered buoy feeds energy to an underwater CatchCam camera and SeaSensor system, anchored securely to remain in place for the next 12 months.
Here is what we want to achieve:
- Study how dynamic the seabed is, driven by tide and local conditions.
- Capture biodiversity data as the mooring site regenerates.
- Understand how local oceanographic conditions affect the regeneration effort.
- Test the mechanical performance of the system in a high-intensity environment.
In 2026, the system will be upgraded to provide live-streaming at depths of around 50 metres, opening new opportunities for monitoring and data collection.
Turning Data into Decisions
The pressure on fisheries to prove responsible fishing is growing, from regulators, buyers, NGOs, and the public alike. Yet collecting reliable underwater data has long been a challenge, especially for smaller crews operating on tight margins.
CatchCam Technologies bridges that gap by creating tools that collect and contextualise what happens below the surface:
- CatchCam records underwater video of fish behaviour and gear performance.
- SeaSensor measures depth, temperature, turbidity, salinity, light, and motion to provide environmental context.
Together, they form a complete system that transforms each fishing trip into an opportunity to learn, adapt, and demonstrate sustainable practices.
Building Complete Data Systems
This trial is part of CatchCam’s ongoing effort to create complete systems for marine data collection, while also supporting the Cairnies Quay Mooring Association in their ambitious regeneration project.
Future deployments will extend on the system’s capabilities: testing acoustic modems for data transfer, refining buoy designs, and exploring live video and data feeds to make underwater visibility possible in real time.
Each trial moves closer to a simple, scalable system that lets fishers and scientists see what’s really happening below the surface, turning data into actionable insight.
