Sunday 07 / December / 2025
Muscat: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources on Sunday signed an agreement with Future Cities Company “Tadum” for the operation of an integrated technological system for tracking fishing boats.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ministry by Dr. Saud Hamoud Al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, and on behalf of the company by Eng. Abdullah Rashid Al Badi, Chief Executive Officer of Future Cities Company “Tadum”.
The project is one of the most important strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing the sustainability of fisheries resources and regulating the fishing sector through an advanced technological system that enables monitoring boats movements around the clock. It empowers the authorities concerned to manage marine incidents and emergencies with high efficiency.
The project’s implementation aims to establish a comprehensive national system for real-time monitoring of fishing boats movements, analyzing sailing patterns and trip routes.
This helps in estimating fishing efforts and formulating more precise plans for fisheries management. It also contributes to protecting fish stocks by monitoring violations and controlling infractions at their occurrence sites.
Furthermore, it plays a pivotal role in enhancing maritime safety by reducing risks, facilitating search and rescue operations, and providing immediate data to support operations room interventions in the event of any incident. The project will include all artisanal fishing boats, according to an installation plan implemented in phases to ensure comprehensive and organized coverage of the fishing fleet.
The system relies on a coastal LoRaWAN network that provides coverage of up to 40 kilometers, which may extend to 70 kilometers in some locations, in addition to supporting satellite connectivity to ensure the continuity of data transmission in remote marine areas.
The transmitted data includes: geographical location, speed, direction, stop statuses, emergency alerts, and tamper attempts with the devices. This provides an accurate, moment-by-moment picture of the boat’s movement and enhances the capability of authorities concerned to respond swiftly to incidents.
The project represents an added value for fishermen by raising the level of safety during navigation; the emergency button enables sending a direct alert to the operations room in case of an incident. It contributes to reducing the likelihood of losing boats through precise documentation of the trip route and provides a certified digital record that can be referred to when needed.
At the ministry level, the system enhances the capabilities of fisheries surveillance, supports the development of policies regulating fishing operations, contributes to combating illegal fishing, and strengthens the national maritime security system through direct linkage with authorities concerned with risk and emergency management.
The signing of the contract comes within the framework of the government’s approaches towards digital transformation in the maritime sector, enabling the authorities concerned to ensure the highest levels of safety, user service, and preservation of the marine environment.
