Toward an Intelligent Blockchain IoT-Enabled Fish Supply Chain: A Review and Conceptual Framework

Abstract

The fish industry experiences substantial illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) activities within traditional supply chain systems. Blockchain technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) are expected to transform the fish supply chain (SC) by incorporating distributed ledger technology (DLT) to build trustworthy, transparent, decentralized traceability systems that promote secure data sharing and employ IUU prevention and detection methods. We have reviewed current research efforts directed toward incorporating Blockchain in fish SC systems. We have discussed traceability in both traditional and smart SC systems that make use of Blockchain and IoT technologies. We demonstrated the key design considerations in terms of traceability in addition to a quality model to consider when designing smart Blockchain-based SC systems. In addition, we proposed an Intelligent Blockchain IoT-enabled fish SC framework that uses DLT for the trackability and traceability of fish products throughout harvesting, processing, packaging, shipping, and distribution to final delivery. More precisely, the proposed framework should be able to provide valuable and timely information that can be used to track and trace the fish product and verify its authenticity throughout the chain. Unlike other work, we have investigated the benefits of integrating machine learning (ML) into Blockchain IoT-enabled SC systems, focusing the discussion on the role of ML in fish quality, freshness assessment and fraud detection.

A Blockchain-Based Fish Supply Chain Framework for Maintaining Fish Quality and Authenticity

“…BC supports several key features, including data immutability, decentralization, transparency, data signatures, consensus, and smart contracts [9]. All product details are collected using IoT devices and sensors, then validated, secured, and recorded on a distributed ledger and shared among system actors in order to protect the product integrity and stakeholders' sensitive data [1]. Adopting BC in the FSC has been extensively explored in the literature.…”

“…Adopting BC in the FSC has been extensively explored in the literature. Notable surveys by [1,[10][11][12], have covered various aspects, including existing research, benefits, design requirements, industrial demands, challenges, technological integration, and more.…”

“…The Fish Supply Chain (FSC) aims to track and trace the fish lifecycle from origin to the end customer [1]. FSCs face several challenges that impact their ability to provide reliable information about the fish product's quality and the authenticity [2].…”

Harnessing the power of blockchain technology to support decision-making in e-commerce processes

“…Businesses can be confident that the agreed-upon terms will be implemented as planned, allowing them to make confident decisions. The transparency and traceability of blockchain also provide a high level of trust by allowing participants to verify the authenticity and transaction reliability, thereby reducing fraud risk or counterfeit products [42], [43]. With trust and security features, businesses can make well-informed decisions toward partnerships, customer engagement, and risk management, leading to improved outcomes and increased trust among stakeholders.…”

SmartDED: A Blockchain- and Smart Contract-Based Digital Electronic Detonator Safety Supervision System

“…There are also some research works that integrated blockchain and machine learning technology. Ismail et al [21] presented an Intelligent supply chain framework, which integrated blockchain and machine learning to track and trace fish products throughout the entire life cycle in the fish supply chain. Dos Santos et al [22] introduced a supervisory mechanism in the Agri-food supply chain, which leveraged smart contracts and Ethereum tokens to provide economic incentives to the participating stakeholders in the supply chain.…”