The Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit (BHSFU) has appointed Satlink as the official electronic monitoring provider for its high-seas fishing fleet, marking a significant step towards improving fisheries oversight, traceability and marine conservation.
The partnership forms part of Belize’s wider strategy to implement a comprehensive electronic monitoring programme across its distant-water industrial fishing fleet by 2027. The initiative is designed to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance capabilities while ensuring compliance with international fisheries standards and supporting the sustainable management of marine resources.
The project is being implemented under Belize’s Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation framework, with support from The Nature Conservancy and funding provided through the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future.
Satlink, which provides fisheries monitoring and management technologies to more than 40 governments and regulatory authorities worldwide, will deploy electronic monitoring systems combining onboard cameras, sensors and positioning technologies. The systems are designed to record fishing activities, identify species, estimate catches and provide georeferenced operational data.
Information collected on board will be securely transmitted via Starlink connectivity to Horus, Satlink’s cloud-based data review platform, where it will be processed to support reporting, traceability and fisheries management. The footage will then be analysed by Digital Observer Services, Satlink’s specialist review subsidiary, which will generate detailed monitoring reports for the BHSFU.
The project is notable for its international scope, with Belize’s distant-water fleet operating across multiple regions. Satlink will work with regional partners to install and maintain the systems while delivering capacity-building programmes designed to strengthen local technical expertise and support the long-term operation of the monitoring network.
