Addvalue iFleetONE-VMS to Capitalise on USA NOAA’s Phase 2 Mandatory Requirements for All Owners or Operators of a Charter or Headboat Vessel with a Gulf Federal For-Hire Permit to Report its Periodic Fishing Position at All Times by Type-approved Satellite-based VMS Systems Only
Singapore, 9 September 2021 – Singapore Exchange Mainboard-listed Addvalue Technologies Ltd (“Addvalue”), a leading player in the mobile satellite communications industry, announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Addvalue Innovation Pte Ltd, seeks to partner Pivotel America, an Australian-owned international company and airtime distribution partner of Inmarsat in providing a suite of satellite communication services globally, to leverage on its Addvalue iFleetONE-VMS™ solution in capitalising on the new mandatory requirements recently promulgated by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office (“NOAA Fisheries’ SE Regional Office”) of the US Department of Commerce on all charter or headboat vessels with a Gulf Federal For-Hire permits in the US pursuant to the Southeast For-Hire Integrated Electronic Reporting (“SEFHIER”) Program which NOAA Fisheries’ SE Regional Office has and will be implemented in phases as follows:
- Phase-1 of the SEFHIER, effective from 5 January 2021, requires the owner or operator of a charter or headboat vessel with a Gulf Federal For-Hire permit in the US to electronically declare a trip before leaving and to submit an electronic fishing report for each trip prior to offloading the fish; the said compliance can be fulfilled using type-approved cellular-based solutions (the “Phase-1 Compliance”); and
- Phase-2 of the SEFHIER, which is projected to be effective in December 2021, will require the owner or operator of a charter or headboat vessel with a Gulf Federal For-Hire permit to report, in addition to the declaration required under the Phase-1 Compliance, its periodic position at all times; the said requirement can only be fulfilled by type-approved satellite-based VMS systems and not by any existing type-approved cellular-based solutions (the “Phase-2 Compliance”).
The new Phase-2 Compliance will affect approximately 1,200 charter and headboat vessels with the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish and Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagic federal permits. Should any of the affected fishing vessels that does not have a NOAA approved Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) elect to install one, it is eligible for a VMS rebate of up to US$3,100 under a Pacific States Marine Fisheries commission reimbursement scheme (the ”NOAA VMS Rebate”).
Dr Colin Chan, Chairman and CEO of Addvalue, commented that: “We believe the NOAA VMS Rebate shall incentivise the affected For-Hire boat operators to modernise their fleets with a new satellite communication terminal that is not only certified for the Phase-1 Compliance and the Phase-2 Compliance but is also capable of supporting real-time internet connections for fleet operations and crew communication. Indeed, the Addvalue iFleetONE-VMS™ package is the only solution that goes beyond complying with the various VMS functions under the NOAA’s rules, with voice communications to boot. It will also accord boat owners with boundless opportunities to harness digital applications on board the vessels to maximise their business performance for many years to come.”
Mr Robert Sakker, President, Pivotel America, remarked that: “Pivotel has an extensive channel partner network to install, activate and support the VMS-enabled Fleet One solution for our fishing vessel customers. The Pivotel solution uses the VMS airtime component to submit the vessel’s location and catch information within the NOAA’s submission and formatting guidelines for data reporting and position tracking. To enhance our vessel customers’ onboard experience, Pivotel pairs the VMS service with our RedPort Optimizer with its inbuilt customizable firewall, which secures the wireless connection to the built-in Addvalue iFleetONE terminal. Uniquely, Pivotel uses two data streams to enable simultaneous regulatory and vessel communications. The regulatory connection uses a proprietary APN (Access Provider Name), while the optional commercial data connection enables access to satellite Internet data bundles, value-added and satellite optimised services, and voice connectivity supported by an easy-to-call local US number.”
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About Addvalue Technologies Ltd
Addvalue Technologies Ltd (A31), a SGX Mainboard-listed, is a leading satellite-based communication solutions company. Addvalue provides state-of-the-art communication terminals for use in space, in the air, at sea and on the ground. The company also offers extensive engineering and integration services to its customers. Addvalue’s expertise extends far beyond where the world’s terrestrial networks end. Whatever the market or application, the company’s wide range of satellite-based products and services is sure to offer the right technology to drive enhanced connectivity. For more information, visit www.addvaluetech.com
About Pivotel America
Pivotel America is an Australian-owned international company founded in 2003 with locations all over the world – in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Europe. For more information on how Pivotel is keeping you connected through satellite communications visit http://pivotel.com
About Addvalue iFleetONE-VMS™
Addvalue’s iFleetONE-VMS™ Terminal is an all-in-one IP-based satellite broadband terminal, embedded with Addvalue’s proprietary Vessel Monitoring (VMS) solution which has been type-approved separately by NOAA Fisheries (USA), Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, Department of Fisheries, Myanmar. The Addvalue iFleetONE-VMS™ solution is the only VMS solution that accords the end users with the convenience of ‘all-in-one-terminal’ and future-ready to support new regulatory features such as electronic forms for catch reporting and on-board Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications to support advanced fisheries operations. Catch reporting is a part of monitoring control and surveillance of commercial fishing. Depending on national and local fisheries management practices, catch reports may reveal illegal fishing practices, or simply indicate that a given area is being overfished.
For additional information, please contact Yee Ping Tan: yeeping.tan@addvalue.com.sg