Furuno’s first fish finder recognised by IEEE

Furuno’s first fish finder has been recognised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as an IEEE Milestone.

Furuno has been acknowledged for its commercialisation of the world’s first practical Fish Finder, a device that quickly became important for commercial and recreational fishing, and for its contribution to modernising the global fishing industry.

The device was developed by brothers Kiyokata and Kiyotaka Furuno to detect fish.

“Fighting against norms and tradition, the pair endeavoured to get a ship to allow them to install their device aboard a working fishing vessel,” explained a Furuno spokesperson.

“In May of 1948, they achieved success aboard a ship called the Choseimaru. The skipper believed they’d find no sardines given their location and the tides, but Kiyokata Furuno insisted he’d seen a smoke-like image on the device.”

The spokesperson added that having convinced the skipper, the ship returned to where the image had been seen and a school of sardines was found.

Furuno Electric Industries

The event was a turning point for the brothers, and Furuno Electric Industries was subsequently founded in 1948.

The fish finder increased catch rates, making it an essential tool for the fishing industry with the devices now standard equipment on most fishing vessels around the globe.

“Furuno is honoured that the IEEE has recognized the historical significance of this invention that has revolutionized the fishing industry, turning what was once a reliance on intuition and experience into a precise science powered by electrical technology,” said the spokesperson.

The IEEE Milestones program recognises significant achievements in electrical, electronics, and information technology that occurred at least 25 years ago and have made lasting impacts on society and industry.

To date, around 260 Milestones have been recognised worldwide, including innovations like the Voltaic Cell, the Integrated Circuit, and the QR Code

IEEE is a technical professional organisation and with its mission statement to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.