JRC JUE-250 onboard tuna ship (MFE)
Trails aboard the Spanish Albacora Group’s tuna superseiner Albatun Dos operating in the Indian Ocean have proved the operational advantages of having JUE-250 FleetBroadband aboard – including getting faster on the fish. The Albacora Group’s modern fleet of tuna superseiners is supported by the latest electronic aids to find tuna on the fishing grounds of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Albatun Dos - built in 2004 - is one of Albacora’s newest tuna purse seiners and she operates in the Indian Ocean to catch and freeze skipjack and yellowfin.
Some months ago Albatun Dos was fitted with Inmarsat JUE-250 FleetBroadband to evaluate the service against its existing Fleet 77. Captain Pablo Abaroa used the opportunity to discover that the greater functionality for downloading data offered by FleetBroadband helps locate tuna more efficiently.
Juan Ramón Dávila, fishing engineer on Albatun Dos, voiced the challenge for FleetBroadband: “The critical thing is to locate fish and to get to them fast. “Then you need to be certain that you are casting your nets in the right place at the right time because, otherwise, you waste time and money. The voyage becomes less profitable. ”Albatun Dos was fitted in less than two hours with a FleetBroadband FB250 terminal manufactured by JRC and it was integrated with the vessel’s local area network.
The captain acknowledged that installation was easy “because the antenna is so small and light.” The system was configured to create a dedicated IP connection to a PC used solely for activities such as scheduled video conferences, applications testing and operational use of the voice channel. Three more PCs were given individual connections for use with fish-finding applications. The key two PC-based applications on board Albatun Dos for finding tuna are CatSat (for oceanographic data) and SeaStar (GeoEye) transmitted to the ship to create detailed oceanographic maps on the vessel’s PC.
These multi-layered maps are based on near-real-time ocean data about factors such as thermocline – a layer of water at a different temperature from the surrounding ocean – which influence tuna movements. The composite maps are created from multiple data-sets to help predict the probable location of tuna shoals. While such applications are powerful tools for locating tuna, the large data files often take more than an hour to download. Then, when several files are needed to create a composite map of a large area of ocean, the time increases to several hours for data download. FleetBroadband’s 432 kbps speed downloaded these files four or five times faster than Fleet 77, giving the ship’s captain a commercial advantage in being able to react faster to indications of tuna on the charts.
Acknowledging the speed, Juan Ramón Dávila said: “The data transmission speed over FleetBroadband is very fast. It is also constantly connected, which allows us to download information in real time. And we can do this while making several simultaneous connections, such as using the internet or making a telephone call. “The boat’s operations have definitely been enhanced by FleetBroadband because we can now download fishing data quicker, saving fuel and time.” Albatun Dos relies on Inmarsat to remain in contact with the shore while out of radio contact and this is seen as vital with the constant threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Also, Inmarsat is used for routine operational communications such as with agents and port authorities.
Time and cost efficiencies can be achieved by advance communication with authorities, for instance when the ship is coming into port to discharge. The vessel, by checking in advance that entry documents are in order, has a guaranteed berth and a shore team available to help unload, saving time and money. Additional efficiencies are achieved by ensuring that fresh provisions, fuel and spare parts are ordered and waiting on the dock to be loaded. Port-entry documents can be accessed from the internet and submitted online. So, it is possible to begin the recruitment or transfer of new crew members while Albatun Dos is at sea. These arrangements – made via a combination of voice calls, emails and other messaging options such as fax – ensure that non-productive time spent in port is kept to a minimum.
Previously Captain Abaroa has used Inmarsat Fleet 77 and Mini M for these tasks, but he reported that FleetBroadband was “just like using a broadband-enabled computer at home.” Says Captain Abaroa: “We made several data connections at the same time while also sending emails and making calls, which impressed us. It helped us to work more efficiently. The quality of voice calls was much better than with previous systems.”
Albatun Dos stays at sea for up to four months, docking only occasionally in the Seychelles to unload her frozen catch. The faster speeds of FleetBroadband enabled Captain Abaroa to download large fishfinding data files faster; make the most efficient use of fuel while reaching good fishing grounds; and set his huge purse seine sooner than previously possible. Faster download was also an advantage when accessing port documents on the web and receiving data files by email from Albacora’s shore office.
According to Kyle Hurst, fisheries sector specialist at Inmarsat: “FleetBroadband triumphed in its primary mission of locating and catching tuna. And it demonstrated how it can support crew welfare and improve operational efficiency. “In an industry where speed and precision are essential to maximize profits, the JUE-250 FleetBroadband offers a valuable and flexible communications solution.”
Source Fishing News International – February 2009
