North East technology firm has fishing tracking device approved by the government

A North East technology business has secured government accreditation for a tracking device for use in the commercial fishing industry.

Succorfish is one of just four firms to successfully complete the Marine Management Organisation’s approvals process for Inshore Vessel Monitoring Systems (I-VMS), used to monitor the location of fishing boats within the UK’s coastal waters.

The North Tyneside-headquartered firm’s SC2 Gen 2 iVMS system provides a cloud-based monitoring platform that is accessible from tablets, desktop computers or a smart phone app via satellite and Bluetooth.

It gives boat crew accurate guidance on whether their vessels are in permitted fishing area, and also provides the fishing authorities with real time data on whether vessels should or shouldn’t be in particular areas, enabling appropriate action to be taken against any that are potentially fishing unlawfully in restricted conservation zones.

Customers also receive free cloud-based monitoring software delivered by the Succorfish Enterprise grade, SAAS platform which enables them to historically see all fishing tracking data.

The accreditation follows successful trials of the SC2 system within the coastal waters covered by the Welsh Fishing Authority and the Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority, and relates to vessels that are 12m or less in length.

Its hardware is designed and manufactured in North Shields, with stock held in fishing ports across the UK, and it is also being successfully used by customers as far afield as Norway, Malta, the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Mark Ward, operations manager at Succorfish, says: “With a clear industry focus on fully-documented fisheries operations, this type of monitoring equipment has never been more crucial to the inshore fishing industry, whether from an environmental, conservation or regulatory point of view.

“The SC2 system is proven, mature technology that we know provides the usability, reliability and technical specifications that our customers need, and with it being a small, sleek one box option, it is easy to transport and install on board, whether on the wheel house or pole mounted on the mast.

Mark concluded: “We’re confident that the whole package of proven technology, adaptable services, software engineering, connectivity and excellent customer service that we offer makes our system the best on the market. Our aim now is to maximise the commercial opportunities that the MMO accreditation gives us with new and existing clients right across the UK and beyond.”