Required hardware for this study included a PC, video recorder, monitor, a CCD camera, a low light and infrared-capable frame grabber. Position data was collected for groups of fish at discrete time intervals. This is no longer an option since the manufacturer has recently filed for bankruptcy. Conclusion Current fish tracking technology is inadequate. It is difficult to relate relative positions of two fish since the error in each fish's position is too big.
Technology needs to be developed that automatically digitizes paths of several fish simultaneously.
The fishing industry claims that current trawl surveys don't estimate fish density accurately. There is a need for an independent estimate such as that obtained from a video mounted on a bottom-towed sled. The sled was towed at a constant speed of 1.5 knots, and a 12 kHz pinger was used to measure the sled's altitude off bottom. A line-transect sampling regime was used to quantify fish abundance. The camera was kept at a fixed height and was tilted at a fixed angle.