Global satellite communications provider Inmarsat and its partners, Addvalue Innovation Pte Ltd (Addvalue) and Network Innovations, launched the first type-approved IP-based terminal and Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for fishing vessels operating in US waters, marking a significant milestone for sustainable fishing in the region.
An estimated 4,000 legally licensed commercial fishing vessels are permitted to fish in US Fisheries Management regions. These are required to report their GPS positions via a type-approved secure satellite link.
As explained, iFleetONE VMS is the first mobile satellite terminal to provide secure VMS services for NMFS with full-featured voice and IP-based communications capabilities.
In addition, it is expected, for the first time, to enable every stakeholder in the VMS ecosystem, including NMFS Law Enforcement, fisheries management officials and other end users to have a platform to develop new and previously limited applications.
As such, this terminal and VMS combination is expected to transform regulatory compliance, fisheries governance in US waters to sustain fish numbers and protect ocean habitats, explained Inmarsat’s Eric Griffin, VP for Offshore & Fishing.
Meanwhile, the system seeks to enable commercial fishermen to have access to voice and data services, enhancing reliable communications between fishing crews and their families and friends ashore.
The Addvalue iFleetONE communications terminal and proprietary VMS have been type-approved in four of the five US Fisheries Management regions, as required by the US National Maritime Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE). Type approval in the fifth region is expected imminently.
See also:
New bill exempts US fishing vessels from ballast water rules
