News

Global hackers to solve fishy issue

Published

10 years ago

May 16, 2016

A HOST of different hackers from around the globe recently battled it out to help solve a problem set by a Pembrokeshirebased scientist.

Between Friday April 2 2 and Sunday (Apr 24), hackers aided in filling crucial gaps in what we currently know about the state of fisheries around the world.

An army of 2,000 coders gathered in 43 different host cities across six continents for the third annual Fishackathon, solving a problem set by the Welsh ecological consultancy Salacia-Marine, WWF, Young’s Seafood and the US-based Billfish Foundation.

The coders were set the task of inventing a technology which would allow fishermen to reliably gather data about fish length and species from images taken by the on-board cameras, which is a crucial element to take into account when assessing the health of global fish stocks.

Dr Andy Woolmer, Pembrokeshire-based Marine Scientist and founder of Salacia- Marine, said: “A fundamental measurement we need is the length of the fish being caught. This gives us an indication of ages and, together with data on how many fish are being taken from the water, we can use it to derive a range of other important statistics which can help us manage fisheries more sustainably.

“At the moment, this data is available for less than half the global catch. Traditionally we’ve relied on measuring fish by hand at sea, which is time-consuming and expensive.

“If the Fishackathon can come up with a solution to our problem, it has the potential to transform our knowledge of fish stocks around the world.”

The challenge was developed in partnership with fishermen as part of the Cardiff-based EU LIFE+ funded Celtic Seas Partnership, a WWFled project aiming to bring people together to create a more sustainable future for our marine environment.

This challenge is one of nine selected by a global panel of experts. The Fishackathon was established by the US State Department to find ways of overcoming the big technical hurdles facing sustainable fishing.

WWF-UK’s Head of Marine Policy Dr Lyndsey Dodds said: “Fish are a critical part of the global marine ecosystem. Millions of people around the world depend on fish for their livelihoods and more than three billion of us rely on seafood as a major source of protein.

“In 2015, our Living Blue Planet report showed that populations of some marine species around the world, including a number of important fish populations, are in decline.

“WWF is working with the fishing industry to help identify solutions to some of the problems faced in achieving sustainable fisheries.

“By putting this problem forward to the Fishackathon with industry partners, we hope the hackers can help us find a solution that’s not just applicable in the UK but across the world.”

The problem which has been put forward to the Fishackathon builds on the previous winning solution ‘Fish-otron’, which showed how it is possible to make quick and accurate length measurements from images collected by the on-board boat cameras.

However, at the moment there is no technology that can distinguish, reliably, between the different species of commercial fish. What is hoped would be created in this year’s Fishackathon is a piece of tech that can both provide this alongside length measurements of fish.

David Parker, Marine Biologist and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Young’s Seafood Limited, said: “As the UK’s leading fish and seafood business, we understand that our planet is precious and that we must respect and help to preserve its natural resources.

“Our ‘Fish for Life’ sustainability programme is the way we seek to improve our impact in everything we do and we’re pleased to be supporting the Fishackathon by giving a speech and offering Young’s food to those taking part at the London event.

“This innovative event will help to generate new ideas and solutions for assessing the health of fish stocks, which is vitally important to us as we believe in doing the right thing for people and the planet, now and for generations to come.”

The winning coders from the Fishackathon will be selected by a panel of judges and announced on Wednesday June 8 to coincide with World Oceans Day.

A total of $10,000 will be up for grabs in prizes, and one team’s creation will be further developed independently with an investment from the US Government.

Community

Festive creativity shines as Kurtz MS meets card competition winner

Published

42 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SAMUEL KURTZ, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, visited Pembroke Dock Community School on Friday 12th December to present a prize to the winner of this year’s Christmas Card Competition.

The competition invited pupils to design a festive Christmas card, with entries received from schools across the area. The standard of artwork was exceptionally high, showcasing the creativity, imagination and talent of young people in the community.

During the visit, Samuel Kurtz congratulated the winning pupil and thanked all those who took part, as well as the teachers and staff who supported the competition. Each child who entered also received a certificate in recognition of their hard work and effort.

Speaking after the presentation, Samuel said, “It was a real pleasure to visit Pembroke Dock Community School today and announce the winner of my Christmas Card competition. This year the winner is Mair Moseley, aged 10, and she designed a wonderful Santa image that really stood out. She has won a chocolate selection set and a £20 book token to enjoy over Christmas.”

He added, “ The creativity and enthusiasm shown by all the children was fantastic, and it made choosing a winner extremely difficult. I want to congratulate all the entrants and thank the staff for their ongoing support.”

Pembroke Dock Community School Headteacher, Mrs Katie Crockford-Morris, added, “We were delighted to welcome Samuel Kurtz MS to the school to present the prize. The children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the competition, and they were incredibly proud to receive their certificates.”

The winning design will now be used as Samuel Kurtz’s official Christmas card this year, with one copy already on its way to His Majesty, King Charles.

Charity

Two Welsh families fund Childline across the UK on Christmas Day

Published

57 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Staff Writer

Joint £40,000 gift ensures vital support is available when children need it most

TWO Cardiff families have joined forces to fund the NSPCC’s Childline service across the whole of the UK on Christmas Day, ensuring children have somewhere to turn during one of the toughest times of the year.

The Peterson family and the Bowles family are each donating £20,000 as part of the charity’s One Unforgettable Day project. Their combined £40,000 contribution will cover the entire cost of running Childline for 24 hours on 25 December.

Childline operates 12 bases nationwide and offers a free, confidential service to anyone under 19, available day and night, 365 days a year. The festive period is often one of the most demanding for counsellors and volunteers; between 24 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, Childline delivered 4,261 counselling sessions.

Young people reach out to Childline for a range of reasons at Christmas, including mental health struggles, family tensions, financial worries, loneliness, and increased risks of abuse or domestic violence. With schools closed and regular support networks unavailable, demand for help typically rises.

Childline relies heavily on donations, fundraising and charitable partnerships. The support of Alan, Maggie and Hywel Peterson, and Nathan and Claire Bowles and their four children, will ensure counsellors are available throughout Christmas Day for any young person who needs them.

Hywel Peterson MBE, Chair of the NSPCC Cymru Fundraising Board, said:
“It’s an honour to help fund Childline across the whole of the UK this Christmas. This joint donation will ensure our dedicated staff and volunteers are there to support any child who needs us.”

Cardiff entrepreneur Nathan Bowles added:
“We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for some children, so our family is delighted to be joining forces with the Petersons this year to support this vital service.”

Louise Israel, Childline team manager at NSPCC Cymru’s Cardiff base, said:
“While children and young people need Childline all year round, we speak to many who find this time of year particularly difficult. It is only with the support of such generous people as the Peterson and Bowles families that our staff and volunteers can continue to be here throughout the Christmas holidays. This kindness will genuinely make a difference.”

Children can call Childline free on 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk.
Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk for advice.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

13 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include: