AI tapped in Japan to locate fertile fishing areas and pass on skills

The fishing industry has been experimenting with artificial intelligence, to pass on the skills of experienced fishers amid a serious shortage of newcomers entering the industry. AI is being tapped to revolutionize the sector and boost profits by analyzing past fishing data, weather conditions and ocean currents, to forecast the locations of fertile fishing grounds or propose efficient methods for oyster culture farming. "AI shows this is the area for a good catch today," says Taizo Takasu, the executive director of Takasui, a fisheries company in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, holding a tablet in his hand. Takasu, 52, is a chief fisherman of a fleet that catches sardines and mackerel with fishing nets offshore in southwestern Kyushu. Since last year, he has been taking part in an experiment that uses AI to select fishing areas.