Catchwise Customers Increase Catch Efficiency by 5.8% Compared to Competitors

Skippers often ask us: "Does Catchwise actually make a measurable difference?"

It's a fair question. Fishing is unpredictable. Weather changes, quotas vary, and stocks move. Drawing conclusions based on individual trips is impossible.

So we went through all the data we have. We wanted to find out: When we compare vessels with themselves before and after becoming customers – and compare them against similar boats during the same periods – what do the numbers show?

The Method

We analyzed 69 vessels with clear before-and-after periods. This means vessels that have used Catchwise long enough for us to compare them with their own history.

For each vessel, we found a control group: boats with the same gear, same size, fishing in the same periods. We measured efficiency in tons per day, relative to these competitors.

In total, we included:

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

We weighted all numbers by hours at sea to avoid short trips or inactive vessels creating biases. Finally, we ran bootstrap analysis with 1,000 simulations to confirm the pattern holds.

What We Found

When we look at all vessels with before-and-after data, we observe:

61% of vessels improved relative to their own baseline

39% declined or remained unchanged

The standard deviation is large (32.5 percentage points) – that's normal in fishing. But even with that variation, the pattern remains solid.

What Does This Mean?

Let's be completely clear: This does not prove that Catchwise *causes* the improvement.

Fishing outcomes depend on weather patterns, quotas, stock movements, and – most importantly – the skippers' own decisions. We cannot isolate one piece of software as the decisive factor.

But the pattern is consistent. And it aligns with the feedback we receive from skippers.

What the Improvement Might Mean in Practice

If we translate the observed efficiency improvement into operational numbers, we see:

• ~654 days saved in total across the fleet
• ~15,686 hours less at sea for the same catch volume

With an estimate of 200 liters of diesel per hour, that becomes:

Again: These are aggregated numbers based on observed behavior. They're not guarantees. But they give a picture of what better decisions may have saved the fleet.

The Variation Matters

27 out of 69 vessels went backwards relative to their own baselines. That means something.

Fishing is complex. Some seasons are better than others. Some vessels have bad luck with weather or quota changes. Some skippers change strategy regardless of technology.

We show this because honest data analysis is about showing the whole picture – not just the good examples.

The median improvement of +5.0 percentage points is precisely why it's important: It represents the typical experience, robust against extreme values.

What We Cannot Say

We cannot say that you will improve by 5.8 percentage points.

We cannot say that the improvement comes from Catchwise alone.

We cannot promise that the pattern will hold in the future – stock movements, regulatory changes, and technological development affect everyone in the industry.

What We Can Say

We can say that the data shows a consistent pattern: Vessels using Catchwise perform on average better relative to their competitors than they did before becoming customers.

We can say that the pattern is statistically robust and based on solid methodology.

We can say that the feedback from skippers – that aggregated data helps them decide faster and with more confidence – matches what we see in the numbers.

Transparency as Principle

We publish this analysis because we believe in honesty over marketing.

We show the method. We show variance. We show that 39% went backwards. We clearly state that we cannot claim causality.

We're not "the world's best fishing program". We're a tool that gathers data skippers already use – AIS, historical catch, ocean data, weather – and makes it easier to use them when it matters.

It's the skippers who make the decisions. We just try to give them better foundation.

Want to Know More?

Contact us to learn how Catchwise can help your vessel or fishing company optimize operations. We offer tailored solutions adapted to your needs.

Ludvig A. Løddesøl
Founder, CFO/COO, Catchwise
ludvig@catchwise.no
+47 916 00 208