Representatives from electronics supplier, EMA Group, have responded to a recent article published in WF* about an Inmarsat broadband satellite service solution being used on fishing vessels for monitoring their activity and for sending electronic catch reports.
It is not as well known that there is an Iridium based solution now offering the optimum approach to Fisheries Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and Electronic Catch Recording Systems (ERS) systems, and that only the Iridium satellite constellation (with 66 satellites) has complete coverage of the Earth. In addition to that, these satellites are positioned on low Earth orbits (LEO) only 800km above ground. Having a shorter distance from the vessel-based VMS terminals ensures the fastest response. The quality of VMS terminals installed is dependent on the manufacturer’s technology and not on the satellite choice.
While broadband solutions (Inmarsat Fleet Broadband or Iridium OpenPort) are achievable in countries with larger budgets, Iridium solutions based on Short Burst Data service, offer both, the VMS position reporting as well as ERS at a much more acceptable level. A decision maker should also bear in mind that every national fishing fleet’s vessels range from 12m to 24m and above. Only 10-15% of these vessels are deep sea trawlers that could justify the investment and operating cost of a broadband solution.
Older VMS systems installed before 2006 (for example Italy, Greece, Cyprus etc.) do not have the built-in capability for the transmission of electronic fishing records. To upgrade these older systems would require purchasing an additional satellite gateway. A better solution would be an Iridium VMS terminal using newer Short Burst Data (SBD) modem technology which allows national fleets to have VMS and ERS (e-Logbook) functionality in one device.
It also enables remote control of the terminal to add new functions or repair software remotely if necessary. Emailing and messaging functionality to and from a small onboard display is used to report sightings of IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing) activity, among others.
One such VMS terminal on the market is BlueTraker-VMS, developed by EMA. It offers additional communication bandwidth by integrating an Iridium satellite channel and GPRS mobile network channel into one hybrid terminal. It is ideal for 90% of fishing fleets which do not require broadband satellite communications, such as voice communication or video. If voice communication via satellite is required, this can be achieved by adding an Iridium handset to deliver an overall cost-effective solution.
Iridium based devices are the only VMS terminals on the market designed for VMS and e-Log use. They were developed in anticipation of the e-Log book functionality becoming compulsory.
The capacity of the Iridium SBD modem is sufficient to send the VMS electronic reports along with ERS catch reports, negating the requirement for a more expensive broadband service. This is a cost-effective solution for all national fisheries with limited budgets and no access to the subsidies available within the European Union for purchasing a broadband solution, typically priced at €4,500 per terminal per vessel.
An example of migration to an e-Log book system exists in Croatia where a BlueTraker Iridium solution was installed two years ago, before electronic catch reporting was compulsory. Having the foresight to select an Iridium solution meant Croatia could install an e-Log system without having to change their older VMS devices. Albania is the most recent country to select an Iridium based VMS solution, having seen the benefits enjoyed by the Croatian Fisheries department.
In conclusion, EMA says that the company can see that due to installing non upgradable devices in the past, the authorities are faced with a difficult decision - how to comply with the latest legislation. It is difficult to select the correct technology, bearing in mind the rapid development. The confusion over possible solutions is increased due to lobbying by different sectors. Hence the reasons for the conclusion that e-Log book compliance in the EU “seems very wide of the mark”.
*p3, December 2010/January 2011
