Singapore develops Asia’s first AI-based mobile app for shark and ray fin identification to combat illegal wildlife trade
Singapore develops Asia’s first AI-based mobile app for shark and ray fin identification to combat illegal wildlife trade
新加坡开发亚洲首款基于人工智能的鲨鱼和鳐鱼鳍识别移动应用，以打击非法野生动物贸易
Singapore National Parks Board, Microsoft and Conservation International collaborate to create AI-powered mobile application that visually identifies shark and ray species. Sharks and rays are in rapid decline. This joint innovation aims to combat a key driver of this decline; illegal wildlife trade. 新加坡国家公园局（NParks）、微软和国际保护组织（Conservation International）合作开发了一款人工智能驱动的移动应用程序，用于视觉识别鲨鱼和鳐鱼物种。鲨鱼和鳐鱼的数量正在迅速减少。这项联合创新旨在打击导致这一衰退的关键因素——非法野生动物贸易。
Singapore, 8 June 2022 – The Singapore National Parks Board (NParks), Microsoft and Conservation International announced the launch of Fin Finder, Asia’s first mobile application that employs artificial intelligence (AI) to visually identify illegally traded shark and ray species. Through the tripartite collaboration, the mobile app was created by a Singapore-led team from Conservation International in consultation with NParks with support from the Microsoft AI for Earth program. The app will be used by officers from the Singapore National Parks Board to combat illegal wildlife trade. 新加坡，2022年6月8日——新加坡国家公园局（NParks）、微软和国际保护组织宣布推出“Fin Finder”，这是亚洲首款利用人工智能（AI）视觉识别非法贸易鲨鱼和鳐鱼物种的移动应用程序。通过三方合作，该应用程序由国际保护组织的新加坡团队在咨询NParks并获得微软“地球人工智能”（AI for Earth）项目支持的情况下开发而成。该应用程序将供新加坡国家公园局的官员使用，以打击非法野生动物贸易。
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II, there are approximately 1,000 species of sharks and rays in the world, of which over 30 species are listed under CITES Appendix II for regulated trade. In Singapore, more than 160,000 kilograms of fins from CITES-listed sharks and rays have entered the borders between 2012 and 2020. The current process requires officers to collect the fins from each shipment for DNA testing to determine its species. This takes an average of up to one week. 根据《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》（CITES）附录II，世界上约有1,000种鲨鱼和鳐鱼，其中超过30种被列入CITES附录II进行贸易管制。在新加坡，2012年至2020年间，超过16万公斤CITES名录下的鲨鱼和鳐鱼鱼鳍进入了新加坡边境。目前的流程要求官员从每批货物中收集鱼鳍进行DNA检测以确定其物种，这平均需要长达一周的时间。
Fin Finder optimizes this process by allowing officers to take photos of fins that will be matched against a database of over 15,000 shark and ray fin images via an AI-driven algorithm in the app. In a matter of seconds, the AI-powered app which runs on Microsoft Azure will quickly and accurately provide a visual identification of shark and ray species onsite and empower officers to quickly flag suspicious fin shipments for further DNA testing to stop the illegal trade of shark and ray fins. “Fin Finder”优化了这一流程，允许官员拍摄鱼鳍照片，并通过应用程序中的人工智能算法与包含超过15,000张鲨鱼和鳐鱼鳍图像的数据库进行比对。这款运行在微软Azure云平台上的AI应用程序能在几秒钟内快速、准确地在现场提供鲨鱼和鳐鱼物种的视觉识别结果，使官员能够迅速标记可疑的鱼鳍货物，以便进行进一步的DNA检测，从而阻止鲨鱼和鳐鱼鳍的非法贸易。
Dhanushri Munasinghe, Project Coordinator, Conservation International Singapore said, “Sharks and rays play an important role in maintaining marine ecosystems by keeping other fish populations in check. If stripped from our oceans, there would be dire consequences for ocean health, which would affect us, and our food security. As one of the world’s most significant transhipment hubs, Singapore is well positioned to combat illegal wildlife trade. Conservation International, supported by Microsoft and other partners, is excited to support Singapore and the Singapore National Parks Board’s leadership in conservation through the creation of Fin Finder”. 国际保护组织新加坡项目协调员Dhanushri Munasinghe表示：“鲨鱼和鳐鱼在维持海洋生态系统方面发挥着重要作用，它们能控制其他鱼类的种群数量。如果它们从我们的海洋中消失，将对海洋健康产生可怕的后果，进而影响我们人类及我们的粮食安全。作为世界上最重要的转运枢纽之一，新加坡在打击非法野生动物贸易方面处于有利地位。在微软和其他合作伙伴的支持下，国际保护组织很高兴能通过创建‘Fin Finder’来支持新加坡及新加坡国家公园局在保护工作中的领导地位。”
Dr Adrian Loo, Group Director of Wildlife Management, NParks, said: “When wildlife species are traded illegally, the consequences are far-reaching to many ecosystems, economies and communities around the world. By using advanced technology in the creation of Fin Finder, we can strengthen the enforcement against the illegal trade of sharks and ray species following CITES regulation, and boost Singapore’s capabilities in conserving precious biodiversity. The collaboration with Microsoft and Conservation International also reinforce the importance of collective efforts among the public and private sector in combating illegal wildlife trade.” 新加坡国家公园局野生动物管理司司长Adrian Loo博士表示：“当野生动物物种被非法贸易时，其后果将波及全球许多生态系统、经济体和社区。通过在‘Fin Finder’的开发中使用先进技术，我们可以加强针对CITES法规下鲨鱼和鳐鱼物种非法贸易的执法力度，并提升新加坡保护珍贵生物多样性的能力。与微软和国际保护组织的合作也强调了公共和私营部门在打击非法野生动物贸易方面共同努力的重要性。”
Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General of CITES, said: “The first step in ensuring international trade complies with CITES regulations comes with the, sometimes difficult, process of identifying the species being traded. Fin Finder is a welcome and innovative addition in the identification of fins and will complement other tools such as iSharkFin. It will give customs and enforcement officers an easy-to-use tool that will contribute to an international trade in CITES-listed species that remains legal, traceable, and sustainable.” CITES秘书长Ivonne Higuero表示：“确保国际贸易符合CITES法规的第一步，在于识别所贸易的物种，而这一过程有时非常困难。‘Fin Finder’是鱼鳍识别领域一项受欢迎的创新补充，它将与iSharkFin等其他工具形成互补。它将为海关和执法人员提供一种易于使用的工具，有助于确保CITES名录物种的国际贸易保持合法、可追溯和可持续。”
Beyond identification of illegally traded shark and ray fins, officers from the Singapore National Parks Board will also use Fin Finder as a single-platform directory of relevant shark and ray species. The app also offers onsite access to reference materials that can be used for validation of CITES-approved permits or shipping documents. This feature is expected to reduce the time and effort spent to on shipment validation, enabling officers to help put a stop to illegal wildlife trade more quickly. 除了识别非法贸易的鲨鱼和鳐鱼鳍外，新加坡国家公园局的官员还将把“Fin Finder”用作相关鲨鱼和鳐鱼物种的单一平台目录。该应用程序还提供现场访问参考资料的功能，可用于验证CITES批准的许可证或运输文件。预计这一功能将减少货物验证所需的时间和精力，使官员能够更迅速地制止非法野生动物贸易。
Fin Finder, a complex AI and cloud based mobile application that runs on Microsoft Azure, was created in just nine months to address a pressing need. The project was led by a Singapore-based team that was supported by a highly collaborative consortium of global experts in conservation and technology, with resources, data, and volunteer contributions from Microsoft, Conservation International, the Singapore National Parks Board, Sineurope Pte Ltd, Rumah Foundation, Coastal Natives and Wild Me. “Fin Finder”是一款运行在微软Azure上的复杂人工智能和云端移动应用程序，仅用了九个月就开发完成，以应对紧迫的需求。该项目由新加坡团队领导，并得到了由全球保护和技术专家组成的协作联盟的支持，同时获得了来自微软、国际保护组织、新加坡国家公园局、Sineurope Pte Ltd、Rumah基金会、Coastal Natives和Wild Me的资源、数据和志愿者贡献。
Richard Koh, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Singapore, shared, “AI has the potential to solve critical environmental challenges. By taking AI tools out of the lab and putting it into the hands of experts in the field, we can accelerate new solutions for a better world. That’s why we are proud to support Fin Finder as it protects global shark and ray populations and preserves our ocean life. By conserving wildlife with help from technology, future generations can enjoy our natural world, as we empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” 微软新加坡首席技术官Richard Koh分享道：“人工智能有潜力解决关键的环境挑战。通过将人工智能工具从实验室带到一线专家手中，我们可以加速开发出造福世界的新解决方案。这就是为什么我们为支持‘Fin Finder’感到自豪，因为它保护了全球鲨鱼和鳐鱼种群，并维护了我们的海洋生命。通过借助技术保护野生动物，我们可以让子孙后代享受我们的自然世界，正如我们赋能地球上的每一个人和每一个组织，助力他们实现更多目标。”