Catchwise Users Improve Catch Efficiency Relative to Comparable Vessels

Skippers often ask us a fair question:
“Does Catchwise actually make a measurable difference?”

It’s a reasonable thing to ask. Fishing is unpredictable. Stocks move. Weather changes. Quotas and regulations matter. A single good or bad trip proves nothing.

So instead of looking at anecdotes, we looked at data.

What We Analyzed

We analyzed 69 vessels with clear before-and-after periods — meaning they had used Catchwise long enough to compare performance before becoming customers and after.

For each vessel, we constructed a control group consisting of:

• Vessels with the same gear type
• Similar vessel size
• Fishing during the same periods

Efficiency was measured as tons caught per day, relative to these comparable vessels.

In total, the dataset includes:

• 3,846 trips
• 316,121 hours at sea (customer periods)
• 63,135 days before becoming customers
• 13,229 days after becoming customers

All results are weighted by hours at sea, so short trips or inactive vessels do not distort the results. We also ran bootstrap analysis (1,000 simulations) to test whether the observed pattern holds under resampling.

What We Found

Across all vessels with before-and-after data:

61% of vessels improved relative to their own baseline

39% declined or showed no clear change

The variation is large — standard deviation is 32.5 percentage points — which is normal in fishing. Even with that variation, the overall pattern remains consistent.

What This Does — and Does Not — Mean

Let’s be clear. This analysis does not prove that Catchwise causes the improvement.

Fishing outcomes depend on many factors:

• Weather and sea conditions
• Stock movements
• Quotas and regulations
• Strategy choices made by the skipper

We cannot isolate one piece of software as the decisive factor. What we can say is this: On average, vessels improved their performance relative to comparable vessels after they started using Catchwise.

This aligns with what skippers tell us — that having historical catch data, AIS traffic, weather, and ocean data in one place helps them make decisions faster and with more confidence.

Catchwise has become an important tool in my daily operations. Artificial intelligence gives us better decision-making foundations, saves time, and contributes to more sustainable fishing. Catchwise is forward-thinking and innovative, showing how technology can make a real difference in modern fisheries.

Per William Lie

Skipper and Ship Owner, Liegruppen

What the Numbers Could Mean in Practice

If we translate the observed efficiency difference into operational terms — purely as an illustration — the aggregated effect across the fleet corresponds to roughly:

• ~654 fishing days saved
• ~15,686 fewer hours at sea for the same catch volume

Using a conservative estimate of 200 liters of diesel per hour, this equals approximately:

These are not guarantees. They are aggregated estimates based on observed behavior, meant to show scale — not to promise results.

The Variation Matters

27 out of 69 vessels went backwards relative to their own baseline. That matters, and we show it deliberately.

Some seasons are worse than others. Some vessels face quota or weather constraints. Some skippers change strategy independently of technology.

The median improvement (+5.0 percentage points) is important precisely because it represents a typical outcome, rather than being driven by a few extreme cases.

Who This Tends to Apply To

Based on both data and skipper feedback, Catchwise tends to be most useful for:

• Vessels fishing multiple areas or shifting grounds
• Skippers balancing weather windows, timing, and competition
• Crews already using AIS and historical data, but doing it manually

It may have less impact when:

• Fishing is highly specialized on a single ground
• Results are dominated by regulatory or quota constraints
• Operational patterns are already fixed and stable

Why We Publish This

We publish this analysis because we believe transparency matters more than marketing.

We show:

• The method
• The variance
• The limitations
• The cases where results did not improve

Catchwise is not a decision-maker. Skippers still make the calls. Our goal is to provide a better foundation for making them.

Want to Dig Deeper?

Want to understand what your own efficiency data says — and how it compares over time?

• We can help you interpret your efficiency and fishing patterns
• We can talk through how to benchmark against comparable vessels
• We can show what Catchwise can (and can’t) support in your workflow

Contact us at hello@catchwise.com or via our contact page.