# Transparent Fish Catch Accounting with Blockchain

> SiLKe digitalizes traceability in food and fish supply chains using smart contracts on a blockchain platform. Participating actors can record catch, inspection, and delivery data in a tamper-proof manner and document processes along the chain in an automated way. The research project ran from 01.06.2019 to 31.08.2022 and resulted in a functional demonstrator.

**Sector:** Primary sector · **Industry:** Fisheries · **Organisation:** SiLKe · **Maturity level:** Pilot

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/silke-fischfang-transparent-abrechnen-blockchain

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Pilot
- **Evidence:** Evidence high
- **Editorial review:** Ufuk Avci, 12 July 2026

## Description

The SiLKe project – "Secure Food Chain through the Application of Blockchain Technology" – was carried out as a publicly funded research consortium project within the framework of German security research funding (SiFo) from June 2019 to August 2022. The aim was to develop an IT solution using blockchain and smart contracts that enables seamless and tamper-proof traceability of food – including fish products – along the entire supply chain. At the end of the project, a functional demonstrator was produced, showing how the SiLKe solution can support transparency, tamper-proofing and more targeted recall actions in practice.

SiLKe stands for "Secure Food Chain through the Application of Blockchain Technology" and was a research consortium project that ran from June 2019 to August 2022, involving, among others, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT) and Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. During the project, requirements from all participants were first gathered, an overall architecture modelled and a specification document developed; subsequently, a blockchain network for specific food use cases was implemented and supplemented with specialised applications for visualising and analysing chain information. The blockchain solution relies on the fact that no central "third party" is needed, which significantly hinders falsification and strengthens mutual trust between the chain links. Specifically, the solution can be applied to use cases such as documenting catch data in fisheries, where origin, catch quantity and transfer are recorded tamper-proof and made accessible to all authorised actors. The project concluded with a demonstrator illustrating the solution's potential; however, proof of large-scale productive use in the fisheries sector is not available.

## Benefits

- Simplified compliance with legal traceability obligations through automated documentation
- Reduction of economic damage through more precise, less blanket product recalls
- Transparency towards trading partners and authorities without additional manual effort
- Verifiable origin information increases trust in the quality of fish products
- Seamless and tamper-proof traceability of fish products along the entire supply chain
- Accelerated and more targeted recall actions in food safety issues through clear batch identification
- Strengthening public trust in the safety and origin of food products
- Decentralised architecture without a central trusted authority reduces risks of manipulation
- Automated documentation via smart contracts relieves employees of repetitive recording tasks
- Clear digital processes improve traceability of responsibilities in daily work

## Challenges

- Integration of existing IT systems and data interfaces of various actors requires considerable coordination effort.
- Unresolved questions about data responsibility, access rights and data protection within the consortium can delay implementation.
- The willingness of all supply chain actors to participate in the blockchain network is a prerequisite for the system's effectiveness.
- Complex technical implementation and lack of standardisation in blockchain solutions for the food sector complicate entry.
- The concrete transfer from the research demonstrator to productive operation in the fisheries sector has not yet been demonstrated.
- Employees must be trained for new digital recording processes, which initially requires time and resources.

## Technology foundation

The SiLKe project relies on blockchain technology with smart contracts to secure food supply chains without a central authority. The decentralized architecture makes data falsification detectable and enables seamless, automated documentation along the entire supply chain. The specific blockchain platform (e.g. Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum or a proprietary solution) was not specified in the publicly available project materials.

## Sources

- [SiLKe Projektseite](https://www.projekt-silke.de)
- [Fraunhofer FIT – Projektbeschreibung SiLKe](https://www.fit.fraunhofer.de/de/geschaeftsfelder/kooperationssysteme/projects/silke.html)
- [Kurzbericht SiLKe (TIB)](https://edocs.tib.eu/files/e01fb24/1879428911.pdf)
- [Rückverfolgbarkeit durch Blockchain – Frischelogistik](https://www.frischelogistik.com/rueckverfolgbarkeit-durch-blockchain/)
- [Mit der Blockchain-Technologie Lebensmittel besser rückverfolgen](https://unglaublich-wichtig.de/mit-der-blockchain-technologie-lebensmittel-besser-rueckverfolgen/)