Innovating Fisheries Management and Ocean Observation: BlueSenz Sensors Turn Fishing Vessels into Ocean Data Platforms

The ocean is inherently three-dimensional, with life and human activities extending from the surface to the seafloor. Traditional ocean observation platforms and fisheries management practices often overlook this vertical dimension, relying on two-dimensional representations that compromise the effectiveness of conservation efforts and our understanding of marine ecosystems. This limitation is particularly acute in coastal zones, where approximately 70% of global fishing occurs and where data collection is hindered by the scarcity of dedicated research vessels and the limitations of deep-ocean observation programs like Argo floats.

BlueTraker, a leading Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) provider operating in over 15 countries and monitoring more than 15,000 large-scale fishing vessels, recognizes the need for a paradigm shift. We have developed state-of-the-art sensors, BlueSenz family of sensors—NetSenz and GearSenz—that transform fishing vessels into dynamic ocean data platforms. Mounted directly on fishing gear such as trawling nets, purse seins, gill nets and traps, these sensors collect high-resolution temperature, and depth (TD) profiles during gear casting operations. The conductivity measurement functionality is under development to complement the other two into a full CTD profile. The data is then wirelessly transmitted to a deck hub and further to the Cloud processing environment in near real-time, all without interfering with fishing activities.

By leveraging our established VMS infrastructure, we can rapidly deploy these sensors on a massive scale, providing unprecedented access to coastal environmental data. This approach addresses the critical gap in coastal ocean observation, complementing existing deep-ocean programs and offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional research vessels. The collected data enhances oceanographic models, advances climate change knowledge, and supports the ecosystem approach to fisheries management.

Equipping fishing vessels with NetSenz sensors also enables the precise measurement of three-dimensional fishing effort, including gear soak time and spatial-temporal patterns, aligning with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) fishing effort categories. This granularity of data empowers governments and policymakers to implement dynamic spatial planning of fishing zones based on near real-time inputs, facilitating more informed decisions. Such capabilities are essential for achieving global conservation goals like the European Union’s commitment to protect 30% of marine areas by 2030 and for preventing the inadvertent “squeezing” of fishing activities into overexploited zones due to expanding Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Our initiative contributes to the Fishing Vessel Ocean Observing Network (FVON), an international coordinating group endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development under the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) CoastPredict program. With the mission of becoming the coastal complement to the Argo program, we aim to establish fishing vessel-based ocean observations as a globally accepted tool for comprehensive marine monitoring.

By embracing a three-dimensional perspective in ocean observation and fisheries management, we bridge the gap between sustainable fishing practices and ocean conservation. The integration of NetSenz sensors on a global scale offers a transformative opportunity to collect ground-truth environmental data, enhance the precision of fishing effort measurements, and support the sustainable use of ocean resources amid climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures.