The ARCFISH project aims to provide tools that will benefit society by supporting sustainable use of natural resources, economic growth, equitable opportunities, and technological innovation capable of supporting climate action. Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) technologies applied to fisheries has huge potential for positive impacts on the above societal aspects. Leveraging the vast amounts of existing data to provide new products and services can yield innovative insights to transform the fishing industry. Better understanding of interactions between fish biomass and ecosystem parameters and their functioning will lead to a more sustainable, efficient, and economically stable fishing sector, affecting communities that rely on fishing, employment in the sector and for consumers. DTO has the potential to significantly reduce the uncertainty experienced by fisheries managers, decision and policy makers, leading to better management of natural resources and more knowledgeable policy making.

ARCFISH is expected to make a concrete difference to industry, decision-making and society by providing tools enabling more efficient fishery operations, greater sustainability of fish stocks, better prediction of fish stocks and movements in response to changing climate, and improved certainty in fisheries management. All of these aspects will contribute to the ambitions of the Digital Europe and European Data strategies, the Horizon Europe Mission Ocean Goals, and UN Sustainable Development Goals. Scientific and technological impacts will also emerge as ARCFISH applies novel digital tools to solve complex operational issues in the fisheries sector and demonstrate applications of the newest innovations in marine technology.