Montreal-based startup gets $850K to protect whales with AI

The federal Fisheries Department is giving $850,000 to a Montreal-based startup that has developed artificial intelligence technology to protect whales and other marine life from ship strikes.

Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier made the announcement Wednesday morning at the offices of Whale Seeker Inc.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Founded in 2018, the company brings together biologists, data scientists and software developers to monitor marine mammals through AI.

Whale Seeker says it has developed an AI tool that analyzes aerial images and can detect marine mammals 25 times faster than the human eye.

It says cargo ships can use the application to avoid collisions with whales, dolphins and porpoises, while the government can use it to determine whether fishing zones need to be closed.

In May 2023, UNESCO’s International Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence selected Whale Seeker’s technology as one of the world’s top 10 artificial intelligence projects for sustainable development.