Fin Finder is a mobile application that supports customs inspectors in the rapid identification of shark and ray species. This first version has achieved a species classification across an initial set of 35 elasmobranch (shark and ray) species, of which 14 are listed on CITES Appendix II. Initial machine learning models in Fin Finder were developed using over 15,000 fin images obtained through collaborations with scientific and conservation experts, importers in Singapore and international organizations involved in wildlife protection. Future versions of Fin Finder anticipate improvements in species- and genus-level prediction accuracy and support for new species.

Fin Finder is a project led and developed by Conservation International and supported by Microsoft and Rumah Foundation. Singapore’s National Parks Board is the piloting partner and an instrumental contributor in the development of the app.

Embedding AI in mobile applications has the potential to put technology in port inspectors' hands to help them identify potentially thousands of species. These mobile apps can be customized to work for any species and any port around the world.

Status: Piloting shark and ray mobile application in Singapore.