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Issue link: http://sea-technology.epubxp.com/i/571837
www.sea-technology.com September 2015 / st 39 U nder the United Nations' International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU), member countries agreed to introduce legislation requiring vessels with inboard mo- tors greater than 80 hp to include a satellite tracking system. For Mexico, the regulation affected more than 1,100 boats that operate in the Pacifc Ocean, as well as 950 boats that fsh in the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of California and Caribbean Sea. To comply with the regulations, Mexico's National Commission on Aquaculture and Fisheries (CONAPESCA) needed a centralized vessel monitoring system (VMS). The Mexican government agency responsible for managing, coordinating and developing policies regarding the sus- tainable use of fsheries and aquatic resources required a solution that is easy to use, simple to install, and that would: transmit the exact location of vessels within 500 m, along with date and time periodically and in real time; transmit routes taken, as well as the fshing zones that vessels were operating in; maintain an accurate account of the operation of registered fshing vessels; prevent access to restricted areas, including secured areas such as oil platforms and ecological zones such as coral reefs; collect information that could be used as evidence to issue sanctions to vessels caught operating in restricted areas (e.g., illegal fshing sanctions); provide tamper-proof, fully automatic 24/7 operations, regardless of environmental conditions; improve the management of fsh- eries resources; and safeguard life at sea in accordance with international conventions, streamline rescue efforts, and im- prove the amount of information available for technical and scientifc fsheries research. VMS Solution With Satellite Comms CONAPESCA turned to Astrum Satelital, an integrator specializing in satellite tracking and data transmission solu- tions for mobile assets, to develop the VMS solution. Over the past 10 years, Astrum has continuously added to its VMS capabilities, which now includes 2,400 terminals to ser- vice national fshing vessels. Today, at the control center, Astrum's VMS solu- tion offers many high-tech features for the regulator, including the ability to defne geofences with rules of operation for national and inter- national maritime waters. It is also able to generate and pro- cess notifcations for emergency situations when vessels enter, exit or are fshing in restricted areas, among others. ORBCOMM's environmentally sealed S ky - Wave tracking terminal uses Inmarsat's IsatData Pro satellite service to provide communication Satellite Technology Helps Comply With Fishing Regulations Mexican Government Relies on VMS With SkyWave Satellite Tracking By Sue Rutherford a b l e u s e o f f s h e r i e s a n d a q u a t i c r e s o u r c e t o c h w v c f f h t i a h O S k y - e A schematic of the Astrum VMS. With the right satellite telemetry systems and sensors on vessels, marine track- ing and monitoring lowers operational costs and ensures regulatory compliance.