Autonomous Fishing Vessels Roving the Seas: What Multiagent Systems Have Got to Do with It

With the advent of autonomous vehicles, (partial or total) autonomy of fishing vessels or operations is seen as a possibility for increased competitiveness among actors of the fishing industry. This study describes the state of art and the possible gradual deployment of autonomous fishing vehicles (AFVs), which may bring unparalleled changes to the fishing industry. Critical challenges related to safety, conservation, economy, law, and ethics of AFVs utilization remain that could be addressed using multiagent approaches. We analyse these possibilities together with the associated difficulties.