Vessel tracking data delivers greater value for fisherman
Written byMaureen Thom
Contributing editor
Vessel tracking data helps fishing community maximize price per kilo and promotes sustainability and higher quality products,
Iceland is a relatively small country situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, yet it ranks as the third largest fishing nation in Europe. The country is steeped in tradition and culture and this history centers around the fishing industry. Today, Icelandic fishermen export to 40 different markets and understand the economic importance of this revered industry.
With a burgeoning population of young professionals interested in implementing technology tools to optimize the fishing industry, one company, Styrid, built a web based application to track and trace fishing vessels in and around Iceland, Denmark, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the Faroe Islands.
Using satellite data from Spire, Styrid provides transparency and value across the value chain. From fishing to processing to a worldwide sales network, Styrid’s platform impacts costs, safety, and customer service using real-time vessel location data collected by Spire’s low-earth orbit nanosatellites.
Maritime data helps fishing vessels operate more sustainably
Styrid uses AIS data to provide real time tracking of fishing vessels. These locations help vessel operators know where their ship is, ensure that vessels are on track in bad weather, and pinpoint areas that are being fished. When vessel managers know when a vessel is en route to its destination, they can schedule producers and processing plants to accommodate their catches. This coordination minimizes downtime, ensures that the caught fish are processed properly, and keeps the fishing business cycle in motion to maximize its value.
Spire and Styrid are partnering to optimize the value chain of the Icelandic fishing industry.
Watch this video to find out how.
Safety is always a top concern
With climate change delivering a record breaking number of storms and temperatures swinging from the highest highs to the lowest lows, knowing that a vessel is in motion and being able to pinpoint a vessel’s location provides peace of mind for families, managers, and many maritime professionals. Profit and time optimization are a large part of the maritime industry, but keeping mariners safe has always been a core value across maritime. There was an unfilled need for small and mid sized vessel owners for industry specific solutions that offer features that were fisherman and vessel owner focused, and Styrid’s platform fulfilled this need.
Maximize value and spur growth
Additionally, data and platforms like Styrid, have helped maximize value in processing and spur industry growth as a whole. Since catches are limited, fishermen needed a way to secure higher value per kilo and Styrid has helped many fishing companies capture this higher value.
