Fishing monitoring and management system and computer-implemented method, computer program and computer-readable storage medium related thereto

Abstract

The invention refers to a fishing monitoring and management system comprising beacon devices (10) connected to buoys (11), mesh devices (20, 30) connected to fishing vessels (21,31), fishing gears (12) connected to buoys (11), gateways (80) connected to a main computational unit (60), wherein a web application (65) is run, and which main computational unit (60) is configured to process data sent by the beacon devices (10), the mesh devices (20,30), and the gateways (80). Also, the invention refers to a computer-implemented method. A sensor in the beacon device (10) measures temperature, velocity, acceleration, to determine whether the fishing gear (12) connected to the buoy (11) is getting lost or is drifting in an unexpected way. The geographical coordinates of the buoy (11) are detected, through communication means (200) or via the Internet (100). In the mesh devices (20,30) there are connectivity means suitable for communication with smartphones (50).

Description

FISHING MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM RELATED THERETO

[0001] The present invention is related to the field of fishing gear tracking, monitoring and management systems and computer-implemented methods.Background

[0002] The Portuguese authorities reported in 2019 that a major limitation of the current fishing monitoring system is the lack of tracking of small vessels [1]. Existing tracking systems such as the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which broadcasts the position of a vessel in real-time, is legally required in fishing vessels flagged by EU countries, but only in those with a total length above 15 meters. Since 2016, such vessels are also legally required to mark their buoys with AIS devices, allowing monitoring of fishing gear and its retrieval, while also facilitating the obligatory process of notifying lost gear to the authorities.

[0003] Additionally, fishing gear lost at sea is a major and global cause of concern. Firstly, as it is mainly made of plastic materials, it contributes to both micro and macro-plastic pollution [2,3]. Secondly, the gear continues fishing, even while lost, causing futile ecosystem depletion [2], which has been known for over twenty years [4]. Thirdly, as currents drag the lost gear back and forth along the seabed, it can destroy ecosystems. Fourthly, it constitutes a hazard for navigation [3]. Fifthly, it has adverse economic consequences for marine tourism [2,3]. Six, strayed gear represents an asset loss for fishermen. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is globally estimated at 5.7% of all fishing nets, 8.6% of all traps and 29% of all lines [5]. In Europe, an estimated 20% of fishing gear is lost at sea [5]. Although the problem is global, for the case of Portugal, a study estimates that fishermen spend 10% of their annual budget in efforts to locate and repair lost fishing gear [6]. In other words, the economic impact of lost gear to the fishing industry is estimated to represent an annual loss of 10% of net income in Portugal. To avoid losing gear, some fishermen already use expensive tracking equipment for buoys. However, its price and logistics related to power consumption and short range, limit its use to larger vessels that can afford the initial investment. Furthermore, such systems are privately owned and operated, meaning that their data is not shared across devices or systems or with the authorities.

[0004] A tracking system that is usable by small open vessels (total length < 12m) and can also be installed in fishing gear buoys is needed.

[0005] With the solution provided by the present invention, it is possible to achieve:

[0006] - A reduction in gear losses (a success rate of 50% would drive net income up by 5%);

[0007] - A reduction on the time / fuel spent looking for gear at sea;

[0008] - A possible increase in income through the optimal choice of port / market based on current catch and live-pricing in different markets of the same region (mostly applicable in islands).Prior Art

[0009] The Continuous Monitoring of Fishing Activities (MONICAP) system (piloted in Portugal), and which operates based on satellite communications and Global Positioning System (GPS) is an expensive system to implement and run and, for several technical reasons (including energy consumption and size), it is not practical on small vessels and not applicable to buoys. Neither MONICAP nor AIS are required in smaller vessels, implying that an important segment of the fishing fleet is not tracked. In Portugal, from the 7.768 fishing vessels registered in 2019, only 10% have a total length over 12 meters, representing 13% of the national gross tonnage [1]. Therefore, 90% of the vessels representing 87% of the fleet tonnage are not tracked at all. Hence, there is a need for a tracking system to be used in smaller vessels, since existing systems are not technically compatible with these.Summary of the Invention

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention refers to a fishing monitoring and management system comprising one or more beacon devices, one or more mesh devices, one or more fishing gears, one or more fishing vessels, one or more gateways, a main computational unit, one or more user computational units.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention refers to a computer-implemented method carried out by the system of the first aspect.

[0012] In a third aspect, the present invention refers to a computer program comprising a set of logical instructions that, when ran by a computer, carry out the method of the second aspect.

[0013] In a fourth aspect, the present invention refers to a computer-readable storage medium.

[0014] The EU legal framework European Regulation (UE) n.º 404 / 2011, addressed in Portugal through Decree Law 73 / 2020, already requires that fishing devices are marked by buoys with a pole and lights. Therefore, the present invention can be seen as a digitalization of the existing requirements, entailing a paradigm shift from simply local safety awareness based on visibility to the naked eye, to continuously recorded digital logs, which can be displayed anywhere. The change provides an exponential augmentation of the utility of marking buoys, and vessels, as illustrated by the several services which can potentially be offered based on such data.

[0015] Crucial for the development of a low-power / long range system compatible with the installation in buoys and small vessels (compact size, maintenance free, years of battery life between charges) is a recent communication technology that is rapidly expanding and which offers significant benefits for low-cost, low-power and long-range applications: LoRa. LoRa (Long Range) has swiftly proliferated in cities, offering low-cost / low-power / low bandwidth communications as a substrate of the so-called Internet Of Things (IoT), currently with many use cases including asset tracking [7], normally of large fleets. While its use at sea is still in the early stages of development and experimentation (8,9), its full potential is still far from being unleashed. Its potential for satellite communications was recently studied

[0010] and is already commercially implemented by Swarm Technologies for two-way communication in low-earth-orbit satellites, which creates a network with global coverage.

[0016] The present invention’s solution can use long range wide area network (LoRaWAN) (a version of LoRa compatible with the general network being installed in the Azores islands) to demonstrate its commercial potential as a low-cost solution to the specific problems mentioned above. Namely, the present invention will continuously track both vessels and gear (nets, traps, etc.) through a sensor added to the buoys, collecting and collating timestamped positioning data. Such data can then be used to:

[0017] i) share the data with the local / regional / national authorities, allowing them to effectively manage resources and ecosystems based on a data-driven understanding of the fishing efforts; ii) improve the safety of navigation via the provision of targeted information, warnings and alerts including of sea conditions, and bidirectional sea-toshore messaging; and, iii) increase the net income of fishermen without increasing the catch. The latter can be achieved through: a) track fishing gear to avoid its loss and support its recovery; and, b) provide fishermen with remote real-time insights of fish markets in the surrounding ports, allowing them to choose the one that maximizes the income for the current catch. The test bed is in the sea around Terceira Island in the Azores, possibly with a supporting network of gateways in the Islands of São Jorge and Graciosa and São Miguel, creating a large oceanic area of coverage.

[0018] This project will develop and demonstrate in co-design with end-users (fisherman* and associations such as the FPA), local authorities (Regional Directorate of Fisheries) and researchers (academic and research institutions), the creation of small low-cost, user-oriented, devices that can be attached to fishing buoys, to transmit their current location, and to vessels, to, additionally, receive alerts, messages, and other relevant data.

[0019] Also the system and the method according to the present invention provide services for fishermen or fishing workers or fishing sporters. Such services can be multiple and each service is considered an innovation because it combines the following features simultaneously 1) using LoRaWAN for ocean applications such as those stated herein 2) LoRaWAN operates under free and unlicensed 3) LoraWAN is low power consumption and today’s systems for ocean are usually not (this is very important since fisherman need to charge equipment very often leading to less efficiency) 4) the communication services explained include a) market prices of different fish catches on the different ports / harbours allowing fishermen to select b) sending navigation alerts fort potential ocean navigation hazards that traditionally are communicated using other channels.

[0020] The alarm a user can receive in his / her smartphone is user configurable in the mobile phone. A message and sound or a display alert in the mobile application can be configured by the end user. For example, an alarm will sound when an excessive drifting is detected. The system detects excessive drifting using the GNSS sensor and a geofencing approach where the fisherman establishes a perimeter. Additionally, other information can be used to support the excessive drifting based on detection of change in the pattern of the vibrations using the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. This may provide additional information such as stranded lines or other fishing gear faults.

[0021] The solution provided by the present invention has the advantage of helping regional directorates to both manage the resources in the long term and exert some control during the daily operations of fishing fleets. Therefore, the embedded logic, and overall consensus is that each professional only has access to information regarding her / his own assets, but the regional government has access to everyone's. Data protection will follow the EU's GDPR standards.

[0022] Advantageously, the system according to the invention will detect the decoupling between a buoy and underwater gear and deploy drift models to estimate the location of the latter.

[0023] Also, the innovative solution of the present invention tightly integrates long-range and low-power usage, permitting years of battery life between charging and being virtually maintenance free. At the same time, the wide range of applications and possibilities it offers is vast.

[0024] Moreover, the innovative solution of the present invention will significantly increase the amount of data available for data-based policy making and to manage the fishing industry and marine ecosystems. Furthermore, the near real-time vessel location is a significant addition to the safety of both humans and assets at sea, actively protecting the sea from ghost fishing, plastic pollution and habitat destruction; as well as fisherman’s income, without increasing catch. The present invention acts on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water. The present invention contributes directly - through the prevention of pollution and ghost fishing - and indirectly - data for resource management - for the careful management of the ocean as an essential global resource, which is a key feature of a sustainable future.

[0025] Also, the system according to the invention allows for low cost, long range, low power consumption based on LoRaWAN regular communication for tracking fishing gear and providing generic communication services for fishermen, including but not limited to market prices and navigation safety.

[0026] Additionally, the long range reached by some embodiments of the mesh device according to the invention to communicate with beacon devices or other mesh devices that are not able to reach a LoRaWAN gateway.

[0027] Another advantage brought by the system and the method according to the invention is the possibility of the fisherman mobile phones to communicate with the vessels LoRaWAN mobile gateway or mesh devices via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to access communication services and the position of fishing gear. When there is no connection between fishing gear and ground gateways, the mobile phone can still obtain the fishing gear position. In other words, the fishing gear (beacon device) keeps a communication channel with the mesh device which in turn communicates with the mobile-phone via BLE.

[0028] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures, which are to be construed as non-limiting the invention scope, which scope is defined by the appended claims, and wherein:Fig.1

[0029] illustrates schematically an embodiment of the system according to the invention;Fig.2

[0030] illustrates schematically a different perspective of an embodiment of the system according to the invention;Fig.3

[0031] illustrates an embodiment of the system according to the invention, detailing an embodiment of the main computer unit; andFig.4

[0032] illustrates a flow chart of the processing workflow, detailing an embodiment of certain steps of the method according to the invention.

[0033] The low-power devices (for buoys will be battery-operated, lasting several years with one charge) will have a GNSS sensor (that provides position based on, for example, Galileo and GPS) and a LoRaWAN transceiver, that allows for transmitting and receiving data. The data communicated by the devices will be received by a cloud server where it is stored and then accessed and managed by computer applications, the whole making up the platform of the present invention.

[0034] While the devices are commercial, the present invention shall remain an open platform and the community may create hundreds of services based on it. The present invention potential to scale up to other regions of the world is believed to be high and shall also be explored.

[0035] Referring now to, a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention is illustrated schematically. A beacon device (10) is shown connected to several buoys (11). The beacon devices (10) comprise a positioning module (not shown) and at least one sensor, for example, an accelerometer and / or a gyroscope, and / or a temperature sensor. Also the beacon device (10) comprises a communications module having long range communication reach, for example, a LoRa communications module. The beacon device (10) is powered by a battery or another suitable power supply module.

[0036] Connected to each buoy (11) there may be one or more fishing gears (12), like a fishing net.

[0037] The at least one sensor in the beacon device (10) measures certain quantities, as temperature, velocity, acceleration, which quantities are important to determine whether the fishing gear (12) connected to the buoy (11) is getting lost or is drifting in an unexpected way. The positioning module detects the geographical coordinates of the buoy (11), through communications via GPS or Galileo or any other type of suitable communication means (200) or via the Internet (100). The communications module of the beacon device (10) sends the data measured and the geographical coordinates to one or more, for example, a gateway (80), which gateway in turn sends the data received to a main computational unit (60) which manages the whole system.

[0038] As illustrated also by, there is one or more first mesh device (20) and second mesh device (30) which are connected to fishing vessels, a first fishing vessel (21) or a second fishing vessel (31). These first mesh device (20) and second (30) comprise, like the beacon devices (10), a positioning module (not shown) and a communications module (not shown) having long range communication reach, for example, a LoRa communications module. In the mesh devices (20,30) there is also a Bluetooth connectivity means, which is suitable for communication with smartphones (50) or other user devices, for example, to send alarms related to the sensor’s measurement from the beacon devices (10). The first mesh device (20) and second mesh device (30) are powered by a battery or another suitable power supply module, that in this case can have a power cord.

[0039] In certain embodiments, the second mesh devices (30) can have a Long Range gateway that allows for direct communication with buoys (11) and first fishing vessels (21), for example, smaller boats, further extending the coverage of the land-based or vessel-based gateways (80).

[0040] Users can also, via their smartphones (50), request information concerning any fishing gear (12) in the system, wherein the smartphone (50) sends a message to the first mesh device (20) or second mesh devices (30) that can be closer to them.

[0041] Still in reference to, Land-based or vessel-based gateways (80), a sort of equivalent to antennas for mobile phones but at a fraction of the cost and using license free bands, create a network that receives / transmits data from the beacon devices (10) and their sensors placed in buoys (11) and from the first mesh device (20) and second mesh device (30) placed in a first fishing vessel (21) or a second fishing vessel (31). The gateways (80) communicate with the main computational unit (60) via internet services. Web services then use the data as in any other web application (65).

[0042] A cloud database stored in the main computational unit (60) receives and stores the positioning data sent by the beacon devices (10), whose access is regulated and secured by a RESTful API.

[0043] The services or applications may be delivered to the users such as fishermen, fishing associations, and their families (for bidirectional sea-to-shore messaging), among others.

[0044] Overall, the system according to the invention is a platform that will provide a low-cost long-range and low-bandwidth communication network for the sea, linking a mobile web of sensors and transceivers or communication modules.

[0045] The data generated by the beacon devices (10) and the first mesh device (20) and second mesh device (30) are mostly made up of positioning time stamped data (coordinates and date / time). There might also be microservices between the databases and the RESTful API. The API might also serve other data relevant to safety at sea, such as meteorological or other.

[0046] Referring now to, a high-level overview of the system of the invention is shown, detailing the main computational unit (60), and including relationships and integration between the different components.

[0047] In, the following layers may be identified, with their respective responsibilities:

[0048] - Beacon (10) and first mesh device (20) and second mesh device (30) layer: includes all hardware devices developed for integration with the first fishing vessel (21) and second fishing vessel (31) and fishing material, like buoys (11) and fishing gear (12). Besides communicating among themselves, they interface with the Mobile layer and the Cloud Platform layer, that is the main computational unit (60), either directly when there is connectivity through mobile communication networks, or, through the LoRaWAN Provider layer;

[0049] - LoRaWAN Provider layer: this is an already existing layer through some provider. This layer interconnects the Cloud Layer and the Beacon (10) and first mesh device (20) and second mesh device (30) layer during regular operation, when there is no mobile communications connectivity;

[0050] - Cloud Platform layer: the central and unifying layer, responsible for all data processing and storage, that is the main computational unit (60). It makes a set of services for users and External Systems available;

[0051] - Mobile Application layer: layer that is responsible for interfacing with users (fishermen and Masters) onboard the fishing vessels. Allows the retrieval of information from the Cloud Platform, and sending messages to other vessels and / or external systems;

[0052] - External Systems layer: layer that represents all external entities that make use of data from the Cloud Platform, or that make required data available to it.

[0053] LoRaWANProvider layer

[0054] The LoRaWAN Provider layer represents external, existing, infrastructure, that the platform, that is, the main computational unit uses to communicate with the beacon and mesh devices. Said platform, in its specification, makes no assumption on the exact LoRaWAN provider used. However, there is a set of requirements that any such platform must abide, to ensure proper integration.

[0055] Those can include:

[0056] - There must be available a programmatic interface for dynamic registry of devices, as part of the provisioning process for the beacon and mesh devices;

[0057] - The received data (Uplink) must be made available through MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT):

[0058] - MQTT topics must be organized in such a way that the Cloud Platform layer should be capable of subscribing to:

[0059] * All received messages;

[0060] * The messages from a single device.

[0061] - Either the topic name, or the metadata included, must include enough information to identify the source of each message.

[0062] * The provider must make available individual addressing of devices for Downlink messages.

[0063] The listed requirements can be fulfilled by existing major providers of LoRaWAN solutions.

[0064] External Systems layer

[0065] In the context of the system according to the invention, an external system is any entity that interacts with the Cloud Platform layer (main computational unit layer). These interactions may be either through the consumption of provided APIs, or through specifically defined flows of interactions, in the case of systems belonging to partners.

[0066] Other than specifying which APIs must be used for notifications, the external systems are outside the scope of this document.

[0067] CLOUD PLATFORM LAYER

[0068] The present section presents the specification for the Cloud Platform layer, (or main computational unit layer) for the system according to the invention. The specification includes both the architecture of the platform, the specification of services to be offered, and processing flows.

[0069] As stated, a major initial assumption of the platform is that it is orchestrated over Kubernetes, with each component developed under containerization technologies.

[0070] Referring now to, further details of the architecture for the cloud platform layer previously shown in, are illustrated.

[0071] In the Cloud Platform, the main component is the Async Messaging Middleware (AMM). The AMM offers an internal asynchronous communication service, responsible for interconnecting the remaining components, while decoupling dependencies among them. The communication flows may be any of 1-1, 1-N, N-1 or M-N, as is required, and naturally offers an associated queuing service for work to be performed. In addition to the AMM, the Storage Service also permits data passing between components / services.

[0072] For requirements and protocol that is established among components by the usage of the AMM, see below.

[0073] Still referring to, the following subsystems are considered:

[0074] - LoRaWAN Connection Subsystem: manages all connections with the LoRaWAN Provider layer. This essentially covers two topics: uplink messaging (inserting MQTT messages into the AMM), and downlink messaging (ensuring communications to devices are mapped to the correct topics), detailed below.

[0075] - External Services Subsystem: interfaces with a configured / supported set of external systems.

[0076] This includes receiving and sending notifications on internal state changes, and acquisition / fetching of additional data required for internal operations (e.g., real-time prices).

[0077] - Processing Subsystem: gathers all processing to be applied to the data gathered from the beacon and mesh devices, including stream processing and auxiliary batch processing. For the main processing use case (stream processing), this is mainly divided into an initial stream for Data Transformation / Enrichment, that is followed by a set of flows for Analytics.

[0078] - Storage Subsystem: responsible for persisting all management and configuration to be used by other subsystems, alongside the time series and other analytics resulting from the Processing Subsystem.

[0079] - Web API Subsystem: responsible for interfacing with external systems, end users, and some use cases for the Mobile Application. Its central responsibilities are divided into access management information, and access to processed data, as part of the general ecosystem built around the platform of the present invention.

[0080] Each subsystem is assumed to possess at least one service, either internal (e.g, MQTT Uplink Service), or external, available through an API (e.g., the Management Service according to the invention). From this set of services, the only subsystem that is not assumed to communicate thought the AMM is the Storage Service. In the same fashion, other components / services may access this service directly for queries / updates too cumbersome for asynchronous messaging or to validate configuration / metadata.

[0081] Async Messaging Middleware

[0082] Async Messaging Middleware is a fully internal component and establishes no dependency for other layers and for external systems. At the same time, it breaks dependencies on implementation details, other than the choice of the Storage service. The specification of the Cloud Platform layer is not bound to any specification / implementation for the Async Messaging Middleware (e.g., Apache Kafka

[0011] , Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP)

[0012] ), provided they:

[0083] - May follow a common API for topic naming. This API presented in the accompanying documentation;

[0084] - Supports all communication flows of the set: 1-1, 1-N, N-1 and M-N;

[0085] - Supports configurable message queuing.

[0086] LoRaWANConnection subsystem

[0087] It is assumed that the LoRaWAN Provider makes available MQTT endpoints that may be used for communication with devices. Interface with the provider is subdivided into two independent services:

[0088] - MQTT Uplink Service: must subscribe to the set of provisioned devices, and map them to the internal topics for the AMM;

[0089] - MQTT Downlink Service: must support sending messages to specific devices;

[0090] A set of patterned topics for interfacing with this subsystem are reserved.

[0091] External Services Subsystem

[0092] There is a set of external services that require interfacing outside any data access or management APIs offered by the platform according to the system and method of the invention. Specifically, the External Services Subsystem covers bidirectional notifications on state changes and regular acquisition / fetching of external data.

[0093] This subsystem is composed by two services:

[0094] - Notifications REST Service: services a Notifications REST API. This API defines endpoints for delivering state changes to the internal system of the Cloud Platform and for delivering messages to specific Mobile platform users. The same API also defines the format for delivering notifications to external systems, that must support this format.

[0095] - External Data Acquisition Service: implements regular acquisition / fetching of external data. Where the regular fetching may be either periodic, or, may be triggered by the reception of a message.

[0096] A set of patterned topics for interfacing with this subsystem is reserved.

[0097] Processing Subsystem

[0098] The Processing Subsystem encapsulates all processing to be performed over data received from the devices and / or external systems, storing results, and as a result using the AMM for signalling operations to be performed by other services (e.g. delivering alerts to vessels by signalling the MQTT Downlink Service). Naturally, certain flows do not require passing by this subsystem (e.g. a Master uses the mobile platform to send a message directly to an external system).

[0099] Rather than specifying specific services, the specification of this subsystem proposes a common processing flow, divided in different types of processing steps, and respective chaining of the steps, resulting in a reusable stream processing workflow. In addition to these, the subsystem includes batch processing jobs to support ad-hoc queries.

[0100] Referring now to, a specified flow chaining for stream processing is shown.

[0101] Within this model, the processing steps that are carried out are divided into:

[0102] - Data Transformation and Enrichment: initial step, responsible for data parsing into a common format, and fetching of additional information from the Storage System as required. Each such step maps to N Analytics steps;

[0103] - Analytics: follow up steps, where outputs may serve as inputs for further processing. This specification recommends a Complex Event Processing approach to these steps.

[0104] A set of patterned topics for interfacing with this subsystem is reserved.

[0105] Storage Subsystem

[0106] The Storage Subsystem is fundamentally composed of a single service, offered internally to other services, the Storage Service. This service is the only service accessed directly, not through the AMM, by other components and is responsible for all persistence of data for the platform. Particularly, this service must support:

[0107] - Time Series formatted data;

[0108] - Relational data models;

[0109] - JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) fields for dynamic payloads.

[0110] Web API Subsystem

[0111] The main interface for interaction with participants in the ecosystem is built around the system Platform (main computational unit). It comprises the management of two services, each exposing a corresponding Web API.

[0112] Specifically:

[0113] - Management Service: services the Management API, responsible for exposing to participants (users) in the platform all management operations, including, registrations for new entities and provisioning devices;

[0114] - Data Service: services the Data API, an essentially read only service, that makes collected and processed data available to external systems.Definitions

[0115] As used in this application, the term “Kubernetes” refers to an open source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.

[0116] As used in this application, the terms “1-1, 1-N, N-1, M-N” refer to communication one to one (1-1), communication one to several (1-N), several to one (N-1) and several to several (M-N).

[0117] As used in this application, the term “topic” refers to a named interface point (e.g. a queue) used as part of the Async Messaging Middleware, identifying a messaging flow for communication between components.

[0118] As used in this application, the term “topic” refers to a named interface point (e.g. a queue) used as part of the Async Messaging Middleware, identifying a messaging flow for communication between components.

[0119] As used in this application, the indefinite article “a”, “an”, shall be interpreted as including “one” or “one or more”, unless otherwise clearly stated.

[0120] Throughout this application, the examples provided shall be interpreted as having the purpose to illustrate one or more examples of embodiments of the present invention and shall not be interpreted as preferences, unless otherwise clearly stated.

[0121] As used throughout the present application, the terms “comprise / comprises”, “comprising”, “include / includes”, “including” specify the presence of the features, elements, components, steps, and related operations, and do not exclude whatsoever the presence of further features, elements, components, steps, and related operations.

[0122] The subject-matter above-described is provided as an illustration of the present invention and shall not be interpreted as limiting it. The terminology used with the purpose of describing specific embodiments according to the present invention, shall not be interpreted as a limitation of the invention.

[0123] 10 – beacon device

[0124] 11 – buoy

[0125] 12 – fishing gear

[0126] 20, 30 – first and second mesh devices

[0127] 21, 31 – first and second fishing vessels

[0128] 50 – user smartphone

[0129] 60 – main computational unit

[0130] 65 – web application

[0131] 80 – gateway

[0132] 100 – communication means via the Internet

[0133] 200 – other communication means (GPS, Galileo)

[0134]

[0135] NPL1:

[0136] 1] Directorate-general for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services; Relatório Anual Frota de Pesca Portuguesa – 2019; Available at: https: / www.dgrm.mm.gov.pt / en / web / guest / relatorios, consulted on 10 May 2021.

[0137] 2] EU Directorate-General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries jointly with the Joint Research Centre; The Blue Economy Report 2021; ISBN: 978-92-76-37879-2.

[0138] 3] OECD (2021), "Towards G7 action to combat ghost fishing gear: A background report prepared for the 2021 G7 Presidency of the United Kingdom", OECD Environment Policy Papers, No. 25, OECD Publishing, Paris, https: / doi.org / 10.1787 / a4c86e42-en.

[0139] 4] Erzini, K. et al. (1997); An experimental study of gill net and trammel net ghost fishing off the Algarve (southern Portugal); Marine Ecology Progress Series; vol. 158: 257-265.

[0140] 5] Richardson, K; Hardesty BD; Wilcox C (2019); Estimates of fishing gear loss rates at a global scale: A literature review and meta-analysis; Fish and Fisheries; DOI: https: / doi.org / 10.1111 / faf.12407.

[0141] 6] CIIMAR; NetTag Newsletter 2, Dezembro 2019.

[0142] 7] Salazar-Cabrera, R., Pachón De La Cruz, Á. & Madrid Molina, J. M. Proof of Concept of an IoT-Based Public Vehicle Tracking System, Using LoRa (Long Range) and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Services. J. Comput. Networks Commun. 2019, (2019).

[0143] 8] Sanchez-Iborra, R., Liaño, I. G., Simoes, C., Couñago, E. & Skarmeta, A. F. Tracking and monitoring system based on LoRa technology for lightweight boats. Electron. 8, 1–18 (2019).

[0144] 9] Radeta, M. et al. SeaMote - Interactive Remotely Operated Apparatus for Aquatic Expeditions. Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. (including Subser. Lect. Notes Artif. Intell. Lect. Notes Bioinformatics) 11748 LNCS, 237–248 (2019).

[0145] 10] Fernandez, L., Ruiz-De-Azua, J. A., Calveras, A. & Camps, A. Assessing LoRa for satellite-to-earth communications considering the impact of ionospheric scintillation. IEEE Access 8, 165570–165582 (2020).

[0146] 11] AMQP, [Online]. Available: https: / www.amqp.org / . [Accessed 7 February 2023].

[0147] 12] Apache; Confluent, "Apache Kafka," [Online]. Available: https: / kafka.apache.org / . [Accessed 7 February 2023].

Claims

A fishing monitoring and management systemcharacterized in thatit comprises:- one or more beacon devices (10), comprising:- a power supply module;- a positioning module;- at least one sensor;- a first communications module having long range communication means;- one or more first mesh device (20) and second mesh device (30), comprising:- a power supply module;- a positioning module;- a second communications module having short range and long range communication means;- a mesh data storage unit;- one or more buoys (11) or fishing gears (12);- one or more first fishing vessels (21) or second fishing vessels (31);- one or more gateways (80);- a main computational unit (60);- one or more user computational units (50);whereinthe one or more beacon devices (10) is / are attached to the one or more buoys (11) or fishing gears (12), and are configured to communicate with the one or more gateways (80), and with the main computational unit (60);the one or more first mesh devices (20) or second mesh devices (30) is / are attached to the one or more first fishing vessels (21) or second fishing vessels (31), and is / are configured to communicate with the one or more gateways (80), the main computational unit (60), and with the one or more user computational units (50), and the one or more first mesh devices (20) or second mesh devices (30) is / are configured to receive messages from the one or more beacon devices (10) and forward said messages to the one or more gateways (80);the one or more gateways (80) is / are configured to communicate with the one or more beacon devices (10), the one or more first mesh devices (20) or second mesh devices (30), and the main computational unit (60);the main computational unit (60) is configured to process data sent by the one or more beacon devices (10), the one or more first mesh devices (20) or second mesh devices (30), and the one or more gateways (80);andthe one or more gateways (80) are connected to the main computational unit (60).The fishing monitoring and management system according to the preceding claim,characterized in thatthe one or more beacon devices (10) further comprise a beacon data storage unit; andin thatthe one or more first mesh devices (20) or second mesh devices (30) further comprise a long range gateway configured to communicate with the one or more beacon devices (10) within a distance longer than without said long range gateway.The fishing monitoring and management system according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized in thatthe at least one sensor of the one or more beacon devices (10) is selected from the group consisting of: an accelerometer, a thermometer, a gyroscope, or any combination of these.The fishing monitoring and management system according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized in thatthe positioning module is selected from the group consisting of: Global Navigation Satellite System device using Global Positioning System, the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, the Chinese BEIDOU Navigation Satellite System, GALILEO Global Navigation Satellite System, and the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS or any combination of these.The fishing monitoring and management system according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized in thatthe power supply module comprises a rechargeable battery, a cable with a plug connected to the vessel or both.The fishing monitoring and management system according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized in thatthe one or more fishing gear (12) is connected to a buoy (11), and the fishing gear (12) is selected from the group consisting of: a fishing net, a longline, a cage, any frame or device to catch fish, a buoy (11) connected to a fishing net, a buoy (11) connected to a fishing gear, any combination thereof.The fishing monitoring and management system according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized in thatthe one or more gateways (80) is / are selected from the group consisting of long range wide area network) multichannel gateways of Class A, Class B, Class C or any combination thereof.The fishing monitoring and management system according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized in thatthe main computational unit (60) is selected from the group consisting of: a cloud server, a server, a desktop computer, a laptop, a portable computer.The fishing monitoring and management system according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized in thatthe one or more user computational units (50) is selected from the group consisting of: a laptop, a portable computer, a smartphone, a tablet, a smartwatch.A computer-implemented method carried out by the system as defined in any one of the preceding claims,characterizedin thatthe method comprises the following steps:a) user inserts management information through the main computational unit (60);b) user registers the one or more buoy (11) or fishing gear (12) and the one or more first fishing vessel (21) or second fishing vessel (31) in a web application (65) running in the main computational unit (60);c) user accesses historical data and visualises, through a web application (65), information related to the one or more buoy (11) or fishing gear (12) and the one or more first fishing vessel (21) or second fishing vessel (31), including position and status;d) the positioning module in the one or more beacon device (10) and / or in the one or more first mesh device (20) or second mesh device (30) periodically, at a pre-defined rate, measures the geographical position of the one or more buoys (11) or fishing gears (12) and / or of the one or more first fishing vessel (21) or second fishing vessel (31);e) the at least one sensor in the one or more beacon device (10) attached to the one or more buoys (11) or fishing gears (12) measure one or more quantities;f) the one or more beacon device (10) and / or the one or more first mesh device (20) or second mesh device (30) broadcasts a message comprising the geographical position and / or the one or more quantities measured to at least one of the one or more gateways (80), and / or to the one or more user computational units (50), wherein said message follows standards, such as LorRaWAN standards;g) the at least one of the one or more gateways (80) send, on its turn, the message received to the main computational unit (60) for processing;h) processing, by the main computational unit (60), of the message received, including the comparison of the one or more quantities measured by the one or more sensors with limit values stored in the main computational unit (60);i) when at least one of the measured quantities in the message received exceeds at least one of the limit values, create an alert message and send it to the one or more user computational units (50), wherein processing comprises evaluating buoys (11) or fishing gear (12) movement and / or location based on data sent by the positioning module, detect abnormal movement based on data sent by the one or more sensors;j) store, in a database, information related to the buoy (11) or fishing gear (12) and / or related to the first fishing vessel (21) or second fishing vessel (31) to which the message received is related.The computer-implemented method according to the preceding claim,characterized in thatthe communication between the one or more beacon devices (10) and the one or more gateways (80), and the main computational unit (60), is carried out in a wireless manner via one or more of the following communication means: Internet, ethernet, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, LoRa / LoRaWAN communications, telephone lines, any combination thereof.The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 10-11,characterized in thatthe communication between the one or more first mesh devices (20) or second mesh devices (30) and the one or more gateways (80), the main computational unit (60), and the one or more user computational units (50), is carried out in a wireless manner via one or more of the following communication means: Internet, ethernet, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, LoRa / LoRaWAN communications, telephone lines, any combination thereof.The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 10-12,characterized in thatthe communication between the one or more gateways (80) and the main computational unit (60), is carried out in a wired or wireless manner via one or more of the following communication means: Internet, mobile communication, or any combination thereof.The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 10-13,characterized in thatthe management information inserted by the user in step a) comprises at least one of the following data: type of messages, quantities to be measured, limit values that trigger an alarm.The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 10-14,characterized in thatthe one or more quantities measured by the one or more sensors are selected from the group consisting of: temperature, humidity, battery level, velocity, acceleration, position or any combination thereof.A computer program productcharacterized in thatit comprises a set of logical instructions that, when the computer program is executed by a computer of the system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 9, the computer performs the method steps of the method as defined in any one of claims 10 to 15.A computer-readable storage mediumcharacterized in thatit comprises the installation of a computer program product as defined in the preceding claim.

Images