Key New Technology Helps Scampi Producer – Fishupdate.com
Key New Technology Helps Scampi Producer European Fish Trader Published: 27 August, 2003
NEW technology, which went on trial in Scotland last week, promises groundbreaking quality control and environmental benefits for the fishing industry.
A revolutionary software and satellite reporting system is being installed on vessels supplying Youngs Stornoway scampi factory in the Western Isles of Scotland, to automatically collect a vast range of data such as precise catch size, location, time caught, sea temperature and depth.
Youngs, the UKs biggest seafood company, is working directly with the fishing fleet in Stornoway and C-Trace a software development company to trial the system.
This new initiative is a development from the EU Tracefish project to which Youngs has been a major contributor. It completes a full traceability chain which means that Youngs will now be able to track the fish all the way from the net to end product in the supermarket.
The initial trial has involved one trawler, the Sharon Rose being fitted with the equipment. General manager of Youngs in Stornoway, John Nicolson, is himself an ex-fisherman and has developed close relationships with the Stornoway fleet that have helped to facilitate the project.
By the end of the three-month trial he expects that 12 Stornoway boats supplying Youngs daily will be involved, delivering real time data direct from the vessels via satellite to a secure server.
The Youngs buying teams be they in Annan, Stornoway or Grimsby – can then access information about the catch via a passworded and exclusive website.