Fishermen apply digital transformation in seafood exploitation.

Recently, fishermen in the districts of Hau Loc, Hoang Hoa, Quang Xuong, Nghi Son town, and Sam Son city have invested in applying horizontal sonar systems, vessel tracking devices, PU foam storage compartments, and LED lights to attract fish on their fishing vessels. According to Captain Le Van Tri of the TH 9354 TS vessel in Hoang Truong commune (Hoang Hoa district), using horizontal sonar is an advanced device with a detection radius of 2,000m, helping to control the waters around the vessel and detect schools of fish at a distance. Thanks to these modern fishing devices, fishermen no longer have to search for schools of fish as before. Therefore, the application of horizontal sonar in fishing has increased productivity, with catch yields increasing by 1.5 to 2 times compared to before its use.

Fishermen apply digital transformation in seafood exploitation. Fisherman Hoang Anh Yen from Hoa Loc commune (Hau Loc district) operates a vessel tracking device on his fishing boat. Photo: Le Hoi.

In addition to its application in seafood harvesting to increase yields, horizontal sonar detectors also integrate many functions to support fishermen, such as positioning, depth detection, and identifying underwater obstacles.

Previously, when fishing at sea, many vessels would lose contact with their families and the fisheries authorities' shore stations. However, since fishing vessels 15 meters or longer have been equipped with vessel tracking devices, signals are updated to the mainland 24/7. All fishing logs are updated on the system, and fishermen can easily check them via a mobile application, thus planning efficient fishing routes. Furthermore, in case of adverse weather or distress at sea, the tracking device will quickly send a distress signal, allowing rescue forces to easily locate the vessel precisely.

Mr. Pham Van Hoa, owner of fishing vessel TH 90195TS, with a capacity of 370 HP, in Quang Tien ward (Sam Son city), said: "Since installing the vessel tracking device, I no longer need to accompany the fishing vessel out to sea. With just a smartphone connected to the internet, the owner can still know the exact location of their vessel at sea. If the fishing vessel enters an prohibited area, the vessel tracking device will send a warning signal so we can monitor the fishing grounds."

Fishermen apply digital transformation in seafood exploitation. Officials from the Lach Hoi Fishing Port Management Board (Sam Son City) monitor fishing vessels entering and leaving the port via a camera system.

With the benefits of installing vessel tracking devices on fishing vessels 15 meters or longer, fishermen in localities throughout the province have now installed tracking devices on 1,121 out of 1,144 fishing vessels, reaching a rate of 98%. Regarding fishing vessel management, as of June 15th, the entire province has updated registration, inspection, and fishing license data for 2,493 vessels into the National Fisheries Database System (Vn-fishbase). Of these, 598 vessels are between 6 meters and under 12 meters in length, and 1,895 vessels are 12 meters or longer.

Mr. Le Van Han, an official from the Lach Hoi Fishing Port Management Board, stated: "The Vn-fishbase system is an online and synchronized database for managing information on fishing vessel registration and inspection, fishing quotas, fishing licenses; data on fishing ports and storm shelters; data on fishing logs and reports; confirmation of harvested seafood; certification of the origin of harvested seafood... This is a fairly comprehensive database and has become a useful tool in managing fisheries and marine resource exploitation capacity. Whenever a vessel docks at the port, fishermen can obtain certification of the origin of harvested seafood by simply entering the vessel's number into the Vn-fishbase system to track the vessel's journey at sea, which serves as the basis for verifying the origin of the seafood." Through the Vn-fishbase system, the goal is to digitally monitor and manage 100% of the operational information of fishing vessels, from the time they leave the port for fishing, to the time they return to port for unloading, to registration, as well as the data system on fishing and trading activities of fishermen. The application of the Vn-fishbase system also helps people conveniently track information and save costs in their seafood exploitation activities.

Currently, along with the application of digital transformation in seafood exploitation, many fishing vessel owners have invested in technology for preserving harvested products. The majority of offshore fishing vessels in the coastal localities of the province have invested in applying product preservation compartments made of stainless steel and polyurethane (PU), especially support vessels, yielding good results. Many offshore fishing vessels use slush ice made from seawater to preserve seafood and are equipped with seawater desalination systems.

Text and photos: Le Hoi

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