Project ReCon, the circular economy initiative driven by the Spanish technology company Satlink to give a second life to echosounder buoys used in tropical tuna fishing, is landing in Mozambique with its new local partner, the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS).
The agreement signed between the two entities will allow ReCon to extend its reach in the Indian Ocean through this scientific entity, located in the western waters of the Indian Ocean, which will increase the project’s coverage by an additional 2,700 km, thus preventing the smart buoys in this area from becoming technological waste due to sea currents or adverse weather factors. For its part, BCSS will use the recovered and reconditioned buoys and sensors to enrich the oceanographic data collection of its Ocean Observatory infrastructure in Mozambique, with the aim of understanding and facilitating scientific data to protect the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region marine habitats.
Specifically, the Ocean Observatory will use these devices to enrich its time-series observational oceanography studies on ocean temperature and seawater chemistry variables (e.g., to track ocean acidification), with time-series of marine life biomass measurements in the water column to analyze its evolution and the impact of different environmental factors.
Following this agreement with BCSS, Project ReCon, founded by Satlink in partnership with the Australian NGO Tangaroa Blue Foundation, is now present in more than ten countries and in the three major oceans (Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic). In addition to Tangaroa Blue Foundation, ReCon works with other leading environmental organizations such as The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The Pacific Community (SPC), Project Biodiversity, and now BCSS. Regarding the fishing industry, more than 150 vessels from 25 companies and organizations are involved in the project, such as Albacora, Echebastar, Inpesca, OPAGAC/AGAC, Sapmer, Bolton Food Group, Cape Fisheries, Caroline Fisheries Corporation, Trimarine, Oakcity Tuna Fishing Corporation, Hartswater, US Pacific Tuna Group, Fairwell, Frabelle or FungKuo, among others.
In addition to the waters and coasts of Mozambique, ReCon has a presence in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, USA (Palmyra), Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia, and Cape Verde, giving this project a global reach for the recovery, reconditioning, and reuse of these buoys for scientific and environmental purposes.
The buoys included in the project are equipped not only with echosounders to detect the amount of marine life biomass underneath, making them ideal for reuse in small-scale scientific studies but also with GPS technology, extending their usefulness to marking and tracking marine debris, monitoring artisanal fishing vessels, monitoring of sharks or improving forecasting and warning systems for maritime safety. According to Dr. Mario Lebrato, Chief Scientist at the BCSS Ocean Observatory, “this agreement will allow us to incorporate the cutting-edge technology included in the intelligent high-tech buoys into our observation and scientific research projects, while at the same time contributing to eliminate potential environmental waste.”
In this regard, it is worth mentioning that, since its launch in December 2022, Tangaroa Blue Foundation has been able to collect more than six tons of waste off the coast of Australia using ReCon buoys, thus reducing the impact of ghost gear. According to Kathryn Gavira, Satlink's Head of Science and Sustainability, “It is particularly satisfying for Satlink to welcome BCSS to Project ReCon. This agreement represents the essence of ReCon: to give fishing buoys a second life beyond their original use for scientific and environmental uses. Moreover, in this case, with a purpose fully aligned with our goal of contributing to the knowledge of the oceans.”
Project ReCon is yet another link in the chain of work that Satlink is developing regarding sustainability and has been recognized for its pioneering nature and contribution to the global fishing industry with the Tuna Awards 2023, awarded by Anfaco-Cecopesca and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. This award reinforces Satlink's strategy and commitment to ensuring the integral sustainability of fishing and adds to other recognitions the company has received: the United Nations (UN) Global Compact in 2022 for the contribution of its technology to the care of the oceans or the European Union Technology Chamber in 2023 with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 Award, among others.
