June 10, 2025 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
 

(HALIFAX) – Canada’s Ocean Supercluster today announced five new ocean innovation projects worth over $18 million during the H20 Conference in Halifax, including the $1.1 million Uncreweded Surface Vehicle (USV) Enhanced Offshore Fishing Project led by ABCO.  

This project is led by Lunenberg, NS-based ABCO, in partnership with Clearwater Seafoods, also in Lunenberg. With a total project value of $1.1 million, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $459,200, with the balance of funding coming from project partners. 

The project aims to modernize and improve collection of crucial benthic habitat data to support the sustainability of Canada’s commercial bottom fishing industry using cutting-edge USVs. Thes USVs, equipped with new R2Sonic sensor technology, will be deployed and retrieved during active trawling and dredging operations, improving feasibility and cost effectiveness of data collection. Accessibility of hydrographic surveys and ecosystem data benefits both the fishing industry and the broader ocean ecosystem, improving our understanding of habitats and fishery population dynamics while allowing the industry to further reduce its bottom footprint. 

The project will drive sustainable economic growth in one of Canada’s largest ocean sectors by promoting more efficient and environmentally conscious fishing practices. In addition to supporting commercialization, it will help expand Canada’s technical workforce by training USV pilots, including retired captains, and employing recent graduates for data analysis roles. 

By optimizing dredging operations and fostering job creation across rural Nova Scotia, this project supports not only its immediate partners, but the wider commercial fisheries sector, helping to build a more sustainable and prosperous future for Canada’s ocean economy. 

Through Ambition 2035 and together with Canada’s ocean community, we are bold in our ambition to grow Canada’s ocean economy 5X to $220 billion by 2035. Continued investment in the accelerated development and commercialization of globally relevant, made in Canada ocean solutions, including the projects announced today, will help us realize this ambition. Read more about recommendations to help achieve this transformational growth opportunity outlined in Charting the Course to 5X Growth in Canada’s Ocean Economy and the projected benefits to Canada here. 

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Media Contacts  
Nancy Andrews  
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster  
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca  

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster  

 
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 140 projects valued at more than $500 million, which will deliver more than 300 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world.

Quotes 

“This project represents the kind of innovation and collaboration that defines the future of Canada’s ocean economy. By integrating uncrewed surface vessel technology into commercial fishing operations, we’re not only advancing sustainability and efficiency; we’re also creating new economic opportunities and building technical capacity across coastal communities. It’s a strong example of how industry and emerging technologies can come together to drive real impact.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster 

The innovative solution to vertical line entanglements, plastic pollution, and ghost fishing caused by abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear that pose threats to ocean species including the Right Whale

Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the $1.4M ROC Fishing System Project. This Nova Scotia-led project will develop and commercialize ropeless or rope-on-command (ROC) fishing solutions to help address global problems including vertical line entanglements, plastic pollution, and ‘ghost fishing’ caused by abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear.

Vertical line entanglements account for 85 per cent of North American Right Whale deaths with severe impacts on other marine animals like sea turtles, seals, porpoises, dolphins and other whale species. Abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear is the biggest plastic polluter in the ocean resulting in seven hundred thousand tons of ocean waste/plastics per year. Contributing to this challenge, lost gear continues to “ghost fish” and is estimated to be directly responsible for 10 per cent decline in global fish stocks, reducing available catch quotas and breaking the traceability of sustainable fishing practice.

Led by Ashored Inc., with NL-based partner eSonar Inc., the ROC Fishing System Project team will work together to take a traditional vertical fishing line connected to lobster and crab traps and coil it on the seafloor in a contained unit with a recovery buoy. In addition to this hardware solution, is a sophisticated data analytics software platform monitoring when the gear was deployed, when it was retrieved, and its location. The project will result in a suite of technologies to provide trap-based crab and lobster fishers the means to pursue their fishery effectively and efficiently while, at the same time, addressing global fishing issues. The ROC Fishing System Project will be instrumental in protecting marine species at risk from buoy rope entanglements, and working towards a safe, transparent, and sustainable fixed-trap fishing industry.

With a total project value of $1.4 million, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster will provide $650 thousand in funding to the project with the balance coming from industry partners, marking the 38th Ocean Supercluster project announced to date.

This ROC Fishing System Project will support small coastal communities reliant on the fisheries through job creation, sales, distribution and supply chain partnerships and an overall improvement to their existing fisheries. It will also propel two Canadian-owned companies, Ashored and eSonar into global market leaders, enhance research, development and manufacturing capabilities while positioning Canada as a leader in ropeless fishing.

Quotes:

“Through this new initiative, the Ocean Supercluster is supporting the development of an innovative system that will transform the fishing industry. Congratulations to these two Canadian companies that will help position Canada as a world leader in sustainable ocean technology and help find solutions to global challenges.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a national network of almost 450 organizations who are working together to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges in ocean. This innovative Rope-on-Command Fishing System solution will help reduce threats to species at risk including the North American Right Whale and is an example of how Ocean Supercluster members are collaborating to address ocean health while also creating new economic opportunity.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“Ashored is excited to be partnering with E-Sonar and Canada’s Ocean Supercluster at the forefront of the global drive towards healthy and sustainable oceans in bringing our Rope-on-Command (ROC) system to market. We know healthy oceans are essential for healthy lives and the advancements in technology developed by Ashored and E-Sonar as part of this collaboration are driving real change in the fixed gear fisheries. The Ashored ROC system not only removes vertical lines used in the fixed gear fisheries; saving the lives of endangered and entangled marine animals, and reducing ocean waste and ghost gear, but also is a means of collecting, analyzing, and reporting on catch data.” – Aaron Stevenson, CEO of Ashored Inc.

“eSonar is excited to collaborate with Ashored and the Ocean Supercluster to support the Development of a Ashored’s Rope-on-Command Fishing System that protects the endangered right whale. Integrating eSonar’s technical capability with Ashored’s Rope-on-Command solution will provide a cost-effective option to eliminate the suspended rope entanglement hazard for endangered Right Whales. This environmentally sustainable solution optimizes lobster and crab yield while making the ocean a safer place for endangered species.” – Gary Dinn, CTO of eSonar Inc

Real-time monitoring for bubble systems in aquaculture fish farms

On June 10, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced four new projects with a total value of over $3.5 million, including the Real-time Bubble Diffuser Aeration Entrainment Monitor Project. This BC-led project will develop a real-time entrainment monitoring system for aquaculture fish farms in complex coastal ocean environments.

Bubble systems are used in finfish aquaculture net pens to mitigate the effects of harmful algae blooms (HAB), increase oxygen levels and lower surface water temperatures. This aeration monitor project will develop a real-time monitor balance mitigation of risk and ensure the effectiveness of bubble systems in aquaculture while reducing costs and emissions associated with fish-farming operations. The products and related services will allow customers to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the fish mortality from high surface temperature and harmful algal blooms.

The Real-time Bubble Diffuser Aeration Entrainment Monitor Project is led by ASL Environmental Sciences, who will develop services and products for the installation and maintenance of the monitoring systems, with partner MOWI Canada West, a potential user of the system who will offer knowledge and experience using bubbler systems and provide input on needs and their ability to deploy this technology into existing operations.

With a total project value of nearly $500 thousand, the Ocean Supercluster will provide close to $325 thousand in funding, with the balance of funding coming from project partners.

The additional real-time data developed through the project will:

• Improve aquaculture monitoring;
• Optimize airflow rates;
• Reduce fuel costs;
• Decrease harmful GHG emissions and;
• Allow for timely decision-making on-airflow rates, reducing fish mortality.

Upon commercialization, the Real-time Bubble Diffuser Aeration Entrainment Monitor team will introduce the new product and service developed in this project to existing aquaculture systems for remote monitoring and management of aquaculture sites. The success of this project will help the aquaculture industry perform at a higher level, attracting clients globally. This project will create up to 20 new full-time positions with the potential for more than 100 indirect jobs.

About OSC
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is an industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling the shared challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. To encourage innovation and trigger new industry investment during these challenging times, the Ocean Supercluster supplemented its core programs with an additional project stream called Accelerated Ocean Solutions Program (AOSP). This enables the development of smaller projects on a shorter timeline that deliver tangible outcomes, while continuing to build resiliency in our ocean sectors.

Media Contact:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
709.725.7070

Quotes:

“Canada’s oceans, the bounty in their waters and the riches within them have created prosperity for generations of Canadians. Our people have expertise now that can take on the world. So, let’s take it on.” – The Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources

“Three years ago, the government selected Canada’s five superclusters to accelerate innovation in areas of competitive advantage for Canada, including the ocean economy. We have seen unprecedented momentum from the superclusters, with hundreds of projects approved and thousands of jobs created. As Canada looks to grow its sustainable blue economy, the work the Ocean Supercluster is doing to advance our ocean industries is more valuable than ever.” – The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

“Today we are excited to announce the newest Ocean Supercluster project led from British Columbia. The Real-Time Bubble Diffuser Aeration Entrainment Monitor Project will help improve aquaculture operations with reduced overall greenhouse gas emissions and fish mortality, while also increasing global competitiveness, and creating up to 120 direct and indirect jobs.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“Our collaboration with MOWI Canada and the support of Ocean Supercluster is helping us transition from an Oil and Gas market. The Aeration Monitor project will provide us a new environmental monitoring technology stream and a potential world-wide market.” – René Chave, CEO, ASL Environmental