As many as 200 satellite positioning devices, worth 40 million VND (1,880 USD) each, have been installed on fishing vessels in the central province of Binh Dinh.

In the remaining months of this year, more than 100 boats in the province will be fitted with the equipment.

It is part of a 13.9 million USD project on monitoring fishing boats, fishing grounds and aquaculture resources, known in short as Movibar, funded by the French Government.

The project is being implemented in 28 coastal provinces and cities in the 2011-2013 period to facilitate fishermen’s safe and productive operation at sea.

The satellite positioning system includes two main parts: machines installed on the boats and the inshore monitoring system.

The onboard equipment will automatically transfer coordinates and time from the boats to the monitoring centre every two hours. The received data will help the centre keep track of the speed and direction of boats, thus providing timely support in case of emergency and assisting boats’ fishing activities.

The Movibar project uses modern devices which can monitor fishing boats, take weather and sea photos using remote sensing technology.

The system will deliver forecasts of the weather and fishing fields, helping fishermen save costs, especially fuel, resulting in more effective catching and reduced risks.

The project aims to perfect the sea fishing management information system, meeting the industrialisation and modernisation requirements of the aquatic sector, effectively and safely monitoring catches, contributing to ensuring order, national security and sovereignty at sea.-VNA