The programme will implement various digital solutions across the industry, including:
• Catch recording app
• Integrated catch and compliance reporting
• Data-driven trip economics and planning
• Subsurface data collection (partnership with FRDC FishSOOP)
• Weighing and grading animals on the vessel with automatic data capture by catch recording app
• Data-driven insights at an industry level
• Integrated safety training within WRL member portal
• Cost management tracking (Fuel, Bait, Wages)
• Maintenance planning
• Weather monitoring
• Improved communications via WRL member portal; and
• WRL systems training.

This digital transformation programme aims to future-proof the Western Rock Lobster industry while keeping development costs low and ensuring solutions meet current and future needs. As with the highly successful Back of Boat e-commerce platform, these key features will be designed and implemented in such a way that they can be easily transferred for application in another fishery or producer, thus generating far greater benefit from this IPA investment in WRL.