New technology on trial in Scotland is holding out the promise of groundbreaking quality control and environmental benefits for the fish industry.
A software and satellite reporting system is being installed on vessels supplying Young’s Bluecrest’s 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.
Young’s is working directly with the fishing fleet in Stornoway and C-Trace - a software development company - to trial the system which allows Young’s to track the fish all the way from the net to the
end product in the supermarket. The initial trial has involved one trawler, the Sharon Rose, being fitted with the equipment.
General manager of Young’s in Stornoway, John Nicolson, expects that by the end of the
three-month trial 12 Stornoway boats that supply Young’s daily will be involved, delivering real time data direct from the vessels via satellite to a secure server. The Young’s buying teams - be they in Annan, Stornoway or Grimsby - can then access information about the catch via a passworded and exclusive website.
The Stornoway pilot project is led by Young’s in collaboration with C-Trace and supported by Western Isles Enterprise, Seafish and EU funding via Seafood Scotland.
Deputy chief executive of Young’s, Mike Parker, says complete traceability is a vital part of the drive for long-term environmental sustainability. “The system produces unrivalled information about raw material which is a benefit to helping us improve product quality throughout the supply chain.We are already looking at trialling similar equipment with other supplier partners around the world.”
Kit Davies
A software and satellite reporting system is being installed on vessels supplying Young’s Bluecrest’s 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.
Young’s is working directly with the fishing fleet in Stornoway and C-Trace - a software development company - to trial the system which allows Young’s to track the fish all the way from the net to the
end product in the supermarket. The initial trial has involved one trawler, the Sharon Rose, being fitted with the equipment.
General manager of Young’s in Stornoway, John Nicolson, expects that by the end of the
three-month trial 12 Stornoway boats that supply Young’s daily will be involved, delivering real time data direct from the vessels via satellite to a secure server. The Young’s buying teams - be they in Annan, Stornoway or Grimsby - can then access information about the catch via a passworded and exclusive website.
The Stornoway pilot project is led by Young’s in collaboration with C-Trace and supported by Western Isles Enterprise, Seafish and EU funding via Seafood Scotland.
Deputy chief executive of Young’s, Mike Parker, says complete traceability is a vital part of the drive for long-term environmental sustainability. “The system produces unrivalled information about raw material which is a benefit to helping us improve product quality throughout the supply chain.We are already looking at trialling similar equipment with other supplier partners around the world.”
Kit Davies
No comments yet