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As acoustic techniques for detecting submarines and the seabed were developed between the two world wars, scientists and fishers began to realize the potential of these techniques for observing fish. The early applications of fishery acoustics were, of course, qualitative in nature. Nevertheless, they were of considerable scientific importance. Fishery acoustics is now recognized for its powerful quantitative capabilities, and echosounders continue to provide qualitative information to scientists and fishers alike.

Although initial development of acoustic methods for estimating fish abundance took place in the late 1950s and 1960s, quantitative methods did not become well established until the 1970s and early 1980s. As instrumentation and techniques evolved, reliable methods for calibration were developed, and suitable computer systems became available. During the past 20 years, the field of fishery acoustics has advanced substantially, and scientific acoustic systems are used throughout the world to characterize the distribution of pelagic species, estimate stock abundance, observe fish behaviour, and characterize such environmental features as substrate type, bathymetry, and aquatic vegetation distribution.