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| The Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, through the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management (DFMRM), has commenced the rollout of satellite-based Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (IVMS) devices to protect those who work on the water. Ahead of deployment, the Department held stakeholder engagements on five (5) islands: Grand Turk, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, Providenciales and South Caicos, where fishers embraced the initiative and welcomed its voluntary approach. To date, over forty (40) fishers have requested the device for their boats, and over twenty (20) units are already operating on vessels across the country. In a marine emergency, time is the enemy. When every minute counts, knowing the last reliable position can turn a search into a rescue. Without a known position, rescuers must sweep a vast area while a family waits ashore, knowing only that the boat is overdue. The Globalstar SmartOne Solar device, paired with the Remora monitoring platform, changes that equation. Small, solar-powered and fully waterproof, it transmits a vessel’s position automatically, roughly every thirty-five (35) minutes, around the clock, far beyond mobile phone and VHF radio range. Should the signal stop, or the vessel move unexpectedly, the system flags it to the monitoring team without waiting for a Mayday. Responders begin with a verified last position, course and speed, and a wide, uncertain search becomes a focused response. |
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| Above: a SmartOne Solar device installed at the helm of a vessel in the Turks and Caicos Islands The stakes are well documented internationally. Fishing remains among the world’s most dangerous occupations: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that some 32,000 fishers lose their lives at sea each year, with small vessels operating beyond cellular coverage, the very conditions on the Turks and Caicos Banks accounting for a significant share. Behind every statistic is a household facing grief without closure, sudden financial insecurity, and a community that has lost a colleague, neighbour and friend. This initiative responds to the FAO’s call for digital technologies to protect small-scale fishers and aligns with the TCI Fisheries Management Plan, the Sustainable Livelihood Strategy, and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries. Statements “The device is very important from a safety point of view. Some fishermen tend to go fishing in areas by themselves, and if anything should happen, this device will make search and rescue efforts very, very effective — we would have a definite position as to where that vessel may be located. It eliminates lost time and means less worrying. From a scientific point of view, it can also give the Department an idea of the migratory patterns of the species a vessel may be fishing, whether for lobster or for conch.” — Mr. David Clare, Fisher, South Caicos “We took this initiative directly to the fishing community, and the response has been outstanding. Fishers have come forward willingly, in numbers beyond our devices on hand. Each unit is a lifeline: it watches a fisher’s back automatically, protects the value of the catch, and gives families real confidence that a system stands behind every trip. Every vessel that joins strengthens the shield around all who go to sea.” — Mr. Alwyn R. Ponteen, Director, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management “This programme reflects the Ministry’s commitment to a modern, well-managed and safe fisheries sector. It strengthens national search-and-rescue capability, supports lawful, science-based management, and keeps the Turks and Caicos Islands in step with international best practices. I commend the Department for a rollout conducted with fishers, not at fishers.” — Mr. Wesley Clerveaux, Permanent Secretary “Every fisher who leaves the dock deserves to come home. This Government is investing in technology that protects lives first, the lives of the men and women whose labour on the water has sustained these islands for generations. These devices are a promise to our fishing families: when something goes wrong out there, we will know where to find you, and we will come.” — Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs Open to All Who Work on the Water Participation is entirely voluntary, and the Department strongly encourages every fisher and vessel owner to come on board. While the programme is centred on the fishing sector, interest is equally welcome from water taxi operators, dive and tour operators, and charter and transport vessels; protection at sea should know no profession. Vessel data remains private and purpose-driven: only the owner and the DFMRM, together with designated authorities, may view it, and solely for safety, search and rescue, lawful fisheries management, and oversight of vessel operations. The device complements, never replaces, good seamanship, radio, lifejackets and a float plan. To have a device fitted, at no cost under the current programme, contact the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management on any island via email at arponteen@gov.tc or call +1 649 243-1996. It could be the decision that brings you, or someone you love, safely home. |
| The Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, through the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management (DFMRM), has commenced the rollout of satellite-based Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (IVMS) devices to protect those who work on the water. Ahead of deployment, the Department held stakeholder engagements on five (5) islands: Grand Turk, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, Providenciales and South Caicos, where fishers embraced the initiative and welcomed its voluntary approach. To date, over forty (40) fishers have requested the device for their boats, and over twenty (20) units are already operating on vessels across the country. In a marine emergency, time is the enemy. When every minute counts, knowing the last reliable position can turn a search into a rescue. Without a known position, rescuers must sweep a vast area while a family waits ashore, knowing only that the boat is overdue. The Globalstar SmartOne Solar device, paired with the Remora monitoring platform, changes that equation. Small, solar-powered and fully waterproof, it transmits a vessel’s position automatically, roughly every thirty-five (35) minutes, around the clock, far beyond mobile phone and VHF radio range. Should the signal stop, or the vessel move unexpectedly, the system flags it to the monitoring team without waiting for a Mayday. Responders begin with a verified last position, course and speed, and a wide, uncertain search becomes a focused response. |
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| Above: a SmartOne Solar device installed at the helm of a vessel in the Turks and Caicos Islands The stakes are well documented internationally. Fishing remains among the world’s most dangerous occupations: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that some 32,000 fishers lose their lives at sea each year, with small vessels operating beyond cellular coverage, the very conditions on the Turks and Caicos Banks accounting for a significant share. Behind every statistic is a household facing grief without closure, sudden financial insecurity, and a community that has lost a colleague, neighbour and friend. This initiative responds to the FAO’s call for digital technologies to protect small-scale fishers and aligns with the TCI Fisheries Management Plan, the Sustainable Livelihood Strategy, and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries. Statements “The device is very important from a safety point of view. Some fishermen tend to go fishing in areas by themselves, and if anything should happen, this device will make search and rescue efforts very, very effective — we would have a definite position as to where that vessel may be located. It eliminates lost time and means less worrying. From a scientific point of view, it can also give the Department an idea of the migratory patterns of the species a vessel may be fishing, whether for lobster or for conch.” — Mr. David Clare, Fisher, South Caicos “We took this initiative directly to the fishing community, and the response has been outstanding. Fishers have come forward willingly, in numbers beyond our devices on hand. Each unit is a lifeline: it watches a fisher’s back automatically, protects the value of the catch, and gives families real confidence that a system stands behind every trip. Every vessel that joins strengthens the shield around all who go to sea.” — Mr. Alwyn R. Ponteen, Director, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management “This programme reflects the Ministry’s commitment to a modern, well-managed and safe fisheries sector. It strengthens national search-and-rescue capability, supports lawful, science-based management, and keeps the Turks and Caicos Islands in step with international best practices. I commend the Department for a rollout conducted with fishers, not at fishers.” — Mr. Wesley Clerveaux, Permanent Secretary “Every fisher who leaves the dock deserves to come home. This Government is investing in technology that protects lives first, the lives of the men and women whose labour on the water has sustained these islands for generations. These devices are a promise to our fishing families: when something goes wrong out there, we will know where to find you, and we will come.” — Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs Open to All Who Work on the Water Participation is entirely voluntary, and the Department strongly encourages every fisher and vessel owner to come on board. While the programme is centred on the fishing sector, interest is equally welcome from water taxi operators, dive and tour operators, and charter and transport vessels; protection at sea should know no profession. Vessel data remains private and purpose-driven: only the owner and the DFMRM, together with designated authorities, may view it, and solely for safety, search and rescue, lawful fisheries management, and oversight of vessel operations. The device complements, never replaces, good seamanship, radio, lifejackets and a float plan. To have a device fitted, at no cost under the current programme, contact the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management on any island via email at arponteen@gov.tc or call +1 649 243-1996. It could be the decision that brings you, or someone you love, safely home. |
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
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