Captain Eva Rostova onboard of the Electric Thunnus‘s vessel X2 near Jan Mayen, nicknamed “BLUEFIN”.
The newest vessel from
Electric Thunnus
in action: the X2
Industry Highlight
Operational Realities for the Electric Thunnus (ET) Highly Automated Fisheries Guild
— Captain Eva Rostova, Director of Fleet Operations & AI IntegrationArctic waters resemble increasingly "rush hour" with mixed-autonomy traffic creating data fog where AI systems must interpret intent across different technological cultures and regulatory frameworks.
Sustainable fishing requires human-AI collaboration, as competing operators with different priorities make responsible resource management increasingly complex.
Enhanced international standards and mandatory data-sharing protocols between commercial and state-linked operators are essential for managing crowded autonomous maritime environments.
Captain Eva Rostova doesn't romanticize life at sea. As Director of Fleet Operations for Electric Thunnus (ET) Autonomous Fisheries Guild, she faces challenges that would have been unimaginable to previous generations.
"Some days, the traffic around Jan Mayen looks more like rush hour than open ocean," Rostova told me during our planning call. Her fleet of highly automated vessels relies on sophisticated AI to assist human crews in navigation, stock assessment, and sustainable harvesting across newly opened fishing grounds in the West Coast of Greenland and areas inbetween Svalbard to Jan Mayen.
In her upcoming presentation at ARCTECH 2045, Rostova will offer attendees a candid look at the operational realities of managing advanced fishing operations in increasingly crowded Arctic waters. Her session will explore four critical areas:
The Complexities of De-confliction with Mixed-Autonomy Traffic
ET’s vessels must now share space with a dizzying array of semi-autonomous systems: massive Chinese-Russian freight convoys, research platforms, and competitors' fishing operations—all with varying levels of human oversight.
"It's not just about avoiding collisions," Rostova explained. "It's about interpreting intent." When her vessels encounter the China-Russia Joint Autonomous Arctic Logistics (JAAL) network—whose massive semi-automated freighters and icebreakers dominate shipping lanes—the challenge becomes predicting behavior across different technological cultures.
ET’s X-2 vessel operating near Icelandic waters, where AI-assisted systems support sustainable harvesting amidst increasing traffic from mixed-autonomy fleets. Photograph by Captain Rostova
Maintaining AI Decision Support Integrity in Noisy Environments
This "mixed-autonomy traffic" creates what Rostova calls "data fog"—environments where signals are abundant but clarity is scarce. ET’s AI systems must maintain decision-support integrity while filtering through conflicting information, some from platforms operating under different protocols or cultural assumptions about resource management.
"An AI trained in one regulatory framework might misinterpret the movements of systems from another tradition," she noted. "When that happens in crowded waters with valuable resources at stake, the risks multiply quickly."
Electric Thunnus has emerged as an unlikely advocate for stronger international standards. Rostova regularly represents the Guild in pushing for clearer "rules of the road" for automated maritime systems and mandatory environmental impact assessments for large-scale operations.
"We need improved data-sharing protocols between commercial and state-linked fleet operators," she insists. "Without transparency, sustainable management becomes nearly impossible."
Technological Adaptation for Sustainable Yields
The company is investing heavily in next-generation AI systems that assist—rather than replace—human decision-makers. Their newest vessels feature adaptive sensor arrays that help crews maintain sustainable fishing practices even when competing with operators who might prioritize short-term yields over ecological balance.
"Technology is just a tool," Rostova concludes. "At the end of the day, there's still a human captain responsible for every ET-vessel. Our goal isn't automation for its own sake—it's using these systems to harvest responsibly in waters that grow more complex by the day."
Her presentation promises industry insight into the practical realities of human-AI collaboration on the frontlines of the new Arctic commons.
By Eva Rostova (Electric Thunnus) & Sascha Kenova (ARCTECH)
Sascha travelled to meet Eva on one of the inaugaral trips of the newly developed X-2 [March 13 2045]
Sascha travelled to meet Eva on one of the inaugaral trips of the newly developed X-2 [March 13 2045]