Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources (MAFWR) has implemented a system for installing automatic tracking devices on coastal and artisanal fishing vessels.
This move is part of the ongoing efforts of the Sultanate to enhance surveillance of fisheries activities and support overall safety in the industry.
To this end, the Oman Ministry recently signed a contract with a specialized firm to install automatic tracking devices on coastal and artisanal fishing boats in the first phase, and on fishing vessels in the second phase.
The Ministry noted that the system will facilitate the seamless exchange and transmission of data between the tracked vessels with base stations via satellite. “At the heart of the project is advanced hardware and software, coupled with reliable and robust performance,” according to the statement.
The system will also allow speedy responses in the event of emergencies, distress situations, and other such contingencies by boat owners.
“Further, it generates fisheries productivity reports, supports the marketing of fish harvests using modern automated systems, helps distinguish between legal and illegal fishing, and enhances safety and security of fishing units,” as per the statement.
The satellites will send the required information about the boats and ships to the operating rooms, and then the specialists analyze the data as well as the information and forward the information to the concerned authorities in the Maritime Security Center (MSC) to take appropriate action where necessary.
The Sultanate of Oman’s fishing fleet includes 24,349 artisanal fishing boats, 688 artisanal fishing vessels, 220 coastal fishing vessels, and 9 commercial fishing vessels, as per the reports.
