Catch App. is a new, free to download app that answers a growing need for improved data collection within commercial fisheries. It is a digital diary that offers fishermen a future-proof, easy to use means of recording fishing activity as it occurs as well as offering instant access to and ownership of their own personal data.
Designed by SuccorfishM2M and developed in conjunction with Blue Marine Foundation, the app. takes only minutes to complete. It is a collaborative solution that eliminates many issues voiced by the industry in relation to data collection and provides marine authorities with the most accurate and comprehensive overview of local fishing activities as they occur.
Real Time Activity Log
Catch App. integrates seamlessly with the SuccorfishM2M SC2-VMS system to provide a highly detailed, real time, management account of vessel location and fishing activities. Catch entries that were previously recorded manually on paper can now be digitally logged and submitted online in real time giving fishermen the ability to compare gear, bait and season performance as well as calculate catch per unit. This valuable resource, in effect, frees up valuable fishing time and encourages efficient practices in fisheries sustainability.
Total Catch Traceability
Catch App. promotes total traceability through instant catch reporting prior to landing as well as managing quotas through efficient real time reporting. It allows fishermen to configure the system according to local parameters including invasive species, indicator species, environment and weather.
Effective Data Collection
As fishermen are the key to changing, implementing and improving data collection methods, the app. provides instant access to historical data and fully supports the need for documented fisheries. Catch App. can be configured to meet legal reporting requirements such as e-log and this provides critical environmental and fisheries data for the most effective marine management practices.
The app has been trialed successfully in the Lyme Bay fishery where the local fishermen fully took on board the need to document their actions in order to protect themselves in the future.
(Catch App is available to download for iPad from the App Store. Apple users only.)
All enquiries to Tom Rossiter, Head of Marine at SuccorfishM2M on e: tom@succorfish.com or m: +44 (0) 7718 191347.
