Tech-driven aquaculture: Assessing IoT awareness of progressive fish farmers and fisheries professionals in the fisheries sector

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) in aquaculture offers new possibilities for real-time monitoring and efficient farm management. However, limited adoption and understanding among end-users in India highlights a significant research gap. This study was undertaken with the objective i.e. to assess the awareness, usage, and ownership of IoT devices among progressive fish farmers and fisheries professionals. A total of 120 respondents 60 progressive fish farmers and 60 fisheries professionals were selected for the study. For the objective, respondents were briefed on general and aquaculture-specific IoT devices, followed by interviews with them. Awareness of general IoT devices was 100% among fisheries professionals, while 76.6% of farmers were aware of fitness bands and smart watches, and 73.3% were aware of Alexa. Ownership among professionals was also higher: 60% owned smart watches, 36.6% fit bands, 18.3% Alexa, and 10% Siri. Among farmers, only 12% owned smart watches, 10% owned fit bands, and none owned smart home appliances or voice assistants. For aquaculture-specific IoT applications, 100% of professionals and 75% of farmers were aware of water quality monitoring systems, but none in either group had used or owned any such devices. Respondents rated the IoT suitability of seven aquaculture systems where Biofloc culture received the highest score from both fisheries professionals (0.85) and farmers (0.87), followed by shrimp farming (0.74, 0.77) and recirculatory aquaculture systems (0.63, 0.67). It is clear from the study that while awareness levels are high, actual usage and ownership of IoT particularly in aquaculture are minimal. Both groups consistently identified Biofloc as the most promising system for IoT integration.