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The United Nations Global Compact Awards Satlink’s technology for its contribution to ocean protection

Its selective smart buoy is recognised as the Best Project to contribute to SDG 14 at the third edition of the go!SDG Awards 

24 January 2022
el-pacto-mundial-de-naciones-unidas-premia-a-la-tecnologica-satlink-por-su-contribucion-cuidado-de-los-oceanos-5745cb22 The United Nations Global Compact Awards Satlink’s technology for its contribution to ocean protection

The Spanish Network of the United Nations Global Compact, the most important initiative for business sustainability promoted by the UN, has recognised the contribution of the selective smart buoy developed by the technology company Satlink to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, in the third edition of its go!SDG Awards. The United Nations, together with the Rafael del Pino Foundation, thus values the contribution of this technology to a more sustainable and responsible fishing activity and to the preservation of marine ecosystems, due to its capacity to favour the capture of species in a healthy state and minimise the capture of vulnerable species.

According to Faustino Velasco, president, and founder of Satlink, "our selective smart buoy is a major milestone for fisheries sustainability. Receiving this award is, firstly, a great satisfaction because it recognises three decades dedicated to the development of solutions that add to the objectives of sustainability and care for the oceans. And, secondly, as a technology partner of the fishing sector, we receive it as an endorsement of the effort the sector is making to ensure that its catches come from a transparent, sustainable, and responsible fishing activity, thanks to new technologies", adds Velasco.

This buoy has been conceived as a powerful tool to increase the selectivity of fishing for the different species of tropical tuna (yellowfin, bigeye, and skipjack tuna), based on the health of each stock in the different fishing areas of the oceans. The system incorporates a double echo sounder capable of distinguishing, using algorithms and artificial intelligence, the quantity of fish, their species and size. This makes it possible to avoid catching the most vulnerable fish in favour of the most abundant and healthy ones, thus contributing to the long-term sustainability of the stocks and without endangering the tuna supply chain.

In addition to the impact on the conservation of stocks, the use of this type of selective buoy helps to significantly improve the efficiency of fleets, as it allows them to make informed decisions and, therefore, to sail less to fish, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. Likewise, the information they generate on a constant basis, and in real time, enriches knowledge about the oceans, species, and their behaviour. In fact, this information is already used by scientific and regulatory bodies, such as Regional Fisheries Organisations (RFOs), to make decisions based on reliable criteria.

Commitment to the SDGs

All these capabilities of Satlink's smart buoy have enabled it to win the go!SDG award by making a precise contribution to the targets defined in SDG 14. Specifically, to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems, effectively regulate fisheries exploitation and end overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and destructive fishing practices, and implement science-based management plans.

 

It should also be noted that increased fishing efficiency reduces both the use of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions, contributing to the overall reduction of the carbon footprint of fishing activity, in line with SDG 13 - Climate Action. In addition, by helping to conserve stocks and make fisheries sustainable, the smart buoy also contributes to global food security in line with SDG 2 - Zero Hunger.

The award was accepted by Faustino Velasco, founder, and president of Satlink, at an event held yesterday by the Spanish Network of the United Nations Global Compact and the Rafael del Pino Foundation, where 18 awards were presented to recognise the best innovation projects in favour of the SDGs, from a total of 224 candidatures.