Underwater fishing robot tested off waters on Shetland

Smarttrawl uses artificial intelligence to decide what goes in the net

An underwater robot which uses artificial intelligence to help fishing trawlers prevent unwanted species being caught is set be tested on vessels in Shetland.

The world-first technology, developed by Scottish researchers, automatically releases un-intended catches before they end up either injured or dead.

While there’s questions over how feasible the technology is, it’s inventors say it could offer a glimmer of hope to an industry facing challenges.