DIGI-FISH

The EU’s 2023 fisheries package targets ≥15% fuel-intensity reduction from 2019 to 2030 and net-zero CO2 by 2050. Policy steers immediate efficiency gains while phasing in renewables, backed by EU R&I partnerships. DIGI-FISH operationalises this mandate under real Mediterranean conditions. Across the Mediterranean, fishing and aquaculture are diesel-intensive, small-scale, and margin-constrained, with fragmented data and uneven digitalisation. Fuel is a major cost driver and many segments show higher fuel-use intensity than Atlantic peers, while crews and authorities lack real-time evidence to cut energy, CO2, and habitat impacts. Yet the basin’s thousands of vessels and dense finfish/low-trophic aquaculture sites—plus short, repetitive trips—make it ideal for early adoption of hybrid/electric assistance, energy-saving gears, and AI-supported operations. Even modest efficiency gains yield large absolute cuts in fuel, CO2, and costs, alongside safety and biodiversity benefits. Today’s efforts are fragmented: single-tech pilots, siloed datasets, limited port readiness, uncertain permitting for heavier “green” engines, scarce training, and no FAIR, standards-based data space supplying real-time optimisation and verifiable KPIs. DIGI-FISH closes these gaps through four reinforcing blocks: Decarbonisation tech & practice—validate hybrid/electric retrofits, energy-saving gears, and electrified aquaculture ops, with before/after KPIs (L/kg, kg CO2/tonne, €/kg). Mediterranean Data Space—secure, FAIR, API-first, enabling real-time analytics and AI. Collaborative Platform—human-centred dashboards, decision tools, and training for users, industry, and authorities. Stakeholder Demonstration—five full-scale pilots (offshore/inland aquaculture; coastal/deep-sea fisheries across the Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, Tyrrhenian, and Western Med) co-designed with end users.