For three decades, we’ve been building technology that helps the fishing industry move forward—smarter, faster and more sustainably.
At Zunibal, we started this journey in 1995 with one clear mission: to drive meaningful change through innovation. We designed the first satellite-connected buoy for tuna fishing, and that breakthrough didn’t just reshape onboard operations worldwide—it redefined how the industry thinks about data, connectivity and the future. That spirit still drives everything we do.
Over the years, we’ve grown into a global company, operating across more than 45 countries worldwide, with an ecosystem of integrated solutions that cover the entire fishing operation. But our real strength lies in how we connect the dots: combining hardware, software and oceanographic intelligence to help fleets fish more efficiently—and more responsibly.
Our technology has always been driven by innovation. A prime example is our flagship satellite buoy, which acts as an acoustic information center, enabling skippers to accurately assess biomass, identify target species, and optimize each set. These buoys seamlessly integrate with our real-time management software, delivering advanced analytics and high-resolution oceanographic maps powered by Copernicus data. We’ve also taken it a step further by developing AI-based tools to help crews plan smarter routes, reduce bycatch, and significantly enhance performance at sea.
Throughout our history, we’ve developed a wide range of technological solutions tailored to diverse fisheries and fleets—from communication systems to Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). A prime example is our ZuniSOS buoy, a dual-purpose VMS and emergency beacon designed to adapt seamlessly to the unique demands of different fleets worldwide. Deployed successfully in varied markets such as Vietnam and Ecuador, ZuniSOS directly impacts vessel owners and crew safety, highlighting our commitment to practical innovation.
Building on this legacy, Electronic Monitoring (EM) has naturally become our next step forward. Leveraging advanced technologies like AI, edge computing, and satellite connectivity, we’ve crafted a robust, scalable, and highly adaptable EM solution, meeting the real-world needs of both industrial and small-scale fisheries. Because we believe transforming the fishing industry means creating inclusive technology that empowers everyone.
Overcoming Electronic Monitoring Challenges in Industrial Fleets
Our extensive experience across diverse fleets, from large tuna vessels to small speedboats, gives us a unique insight into the challenges faced across fleets of varying sizes and operational complexities. Clearly, the industrial fishing sector sets the standard, but the next challenge is not about adding new equipment—it’s about making the system smarter, faster, and more valuable.
We aim to close the gap between data capture and meaningful insights, making reporting quicker and more efficient. Developing precise AI models adapted specifically for diverse onboard contexts is critical. The industry should recognize that this is a lengthy and iterative journey, comparable to the gradual evolution experienced by autonomous vehicles—from initial basic analytics and supportive assistance to increasingly sophisticated autonomy.
Optimizing data and video transmission using Starlink or 4G technologies without compromising review quality is another priority. New Starlink bundles are enabling us to transmit hundreds of gigabytes of video per month while simultaneously supporting onboard internet use, all without incurring exorbitant cost. AI plays a crucial role here, enabling models that drastically reduce communication bandwidth and storage needs while always striving to maintain consistently high review standards.
Our development teams are actively addressing these challenges, creating precise algorithms and driving practical edge computing solutions. This approach ensures algorithms developed in high-resource environments can effectively run onboard, despite limited computational resources.
However, one of the greatest challenges is helping shipowners and crew clearly understand the value of these technologies. The advantages include not only commercial growth, market differentiation, and improved efficiency but also practical daily operational enhancements. A clear example that’s already delivering value to our tuna industry clients is the integration of onboard and buoy-generated data with oceanographic information to identify strategic fishing zones — the so-called ‘hot tuna points’ — and plan more efficient routes.
Despite all the advances in technology and AI, one critical challenge that must always be considered is maintaining local technical capabilities to ensure equipment availability. Unlike other systems, Electronic Monitoring (EM) is highly complex, with only its central units located in protected areas, while other equipment like cameras and cabling are dispersed throughout the vessel, creating numerous potential weak points that are difficult to control but essential to monitor. While tamper evidence is crucial, it’s just as essential that programs have dedicated field technicians from the beginning, to provide hands-on support. At Zunibal, training and collaborating with local technicians is a top priority when launching new monitoring programs. This ensures that any issues in the field are addressed quickly and effectively while also strengthening local capabilities and creating positive impact in the communities we work with.
Robust and Versatile Monitoring for Industrial Fleets
Our EM solution is built for the demanding conditions of industrial fishing fleets, with a compact, modular design that fits any vessel and supports multiple cameras and customized sensor setups to meet the specific requirements of each fishery. Engineered for harsh maritime environments, it withstands vibration, interference, saltwater, and extreme weather to ensure reliable performance.
The onboard system’s recording capabilities are fully customizable, allowing triggers based on vessel speed, sensor inputs, or AI-driven event detection. Data is securely stored with disk encryption, and crew privacy is protected through automatic face blurring.
Advanced Communication and Network Management
Our solution provides satellite (Starlink) and cellular (4G) communication options, fully compatible with our onboard communication management solution to efficiently manage internet access. With precise network management, fleets can monitor data traffic in real-time, establish tailored usage rules, implement access control methods such as scratchcards, receive immediate alerts, and ensure secure VPN connections, guaranteeing optimal bandwidth usage and data security at sea.
Proactive System Health Monitoring
Addressing a primary concern for regulatory authorities and fleet managers, our system proactively monitors and transmits its operational status periodically or upon specific events, such as power cycles or disconnections of cameras and sensors. System health data can be integrated into governmental platforms or managed through our web-based fleet monitoring system.
This enables centralized oversight of fleet activity, including real-time system health, historical routes, vessel positions and speeds, configuration records, alerts, and incident tracking. By continuously assessing system integrity, our solution significantly reduces data loss risk and optimizes scheduled maintenance, ensuring maximum operational uptime.
Comprehensive and Intuitive Review Software
Our review software provides a powerful yet user-friendly toolset designed specifically for efficient analysis and accurate reporting. It offers a highly intuitive interface that accelerates user onboarding and productivity. Customizable settings accommodate diverse fishing operations and regional requirements, advanced annotation tools support precise and efficient documentation.
The software also includes versatile features like image and video capture, camera calibration for measurements, automated notes, and robust management of key data. Integrated map-based tracking, speed graphs, automatic report generation, and seamless synchronization with external databases and AI-driven models make it an indispensable asset for observers, significantly facilitating their work and enhancing the speed and accuracy of data reviews
Adapting EM for Small-Scale Fisheries: Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Industrial fishing vessels benefit from well-established digital infrastructure, but small-scale fisheries often face an entirely different reality. Artisanal boats often face substantial hurdles, including extremely limited onboard space, exposure to harsh and unpredictable marine conditions, inconsistent or nonexistent connectivity, and inadequate power supply. These constraints make traditional electronic monitoring (EM) systems unsuitable, presenting significant technical and operational challenges that must be thoughtfully addressed. Yet, small-scale fisheries increasingly face stringent regulatory requirements, sustainability expectations, and growing demands for transparency throughout their supply chains.
At Zunibal, we believe these fisheries deserve EM solutions specifically designed to meet their unique challenges. Our Electronic Monitoring (EM) system for small-scale fisheries has been purposefully built from the ground up—compact, robust, and straightforward to install and maintain. Its fully modular and simplified design allows independent power sourcing, flexible mounting, and rapid removal to protect against theft or damage. Every component is engineered to endure harsh marine conditions without compromising functionality or data integrity.
Importantly, our small-scale EM solution is fully integrated into the same software suite, including review system, monitoring platform, and advanced AI analytics, as our industrial system. This ensures consistent data standards, included into broader monitoring programs, and scalability over time.
This solution is already being used in a pilot project within Ecuador’s mahi-mahi and swordfish fisheries — an initiative driven by the Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), Conservation Mahi-Mahi Ecuador, Swordfish.ec-Ecuadorand and the support of WWF. These fisheries are actively working toward obtaining Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, facing unique challenges due to their highly fragmented fleets. These fleets combine larger support vessels with small fiberglass speedboats, some of which operate independently while others accompany the support vessels. Our EM solution enables these diverse fleets to meet certification requirements, adapt to their operational realities, and demonstrate their commitment to responsible and sustainable fishing practices.
Yet, effective technology implementation is about more than hardware and software. The true strength of EM in small-scale fisheries lies in its adaptability—tailored precisely to the characteristics of each vessel, the specific fishery context, local community dynamics, and the monitoring objectives. Understanding that each scenario is unique, we work closely with local stakeholders to co-design customized solutions that reflect real-world conditions and ensure widespread acceptance.
Whether supporting sustainability certification, documenting best practices, protecting endangered species, or enhancing crew safety, EM empowers artisanal fishers by providing accurate, reliable, and verifiable data. This data-driven transparency ultimately helps level the playing field, offering small-scale fisheries increased visibility, credibility, and opportunities within global markets.
For Zunibal, adapting EM technology isn’t about scaling down. It’s about scaling up inclusion—creating accessible, flexible solutions built for the realities faced by artisanal fleets worldwide. Because a sustainable fishing future must include everyone.
A Future of Responsible Fishing
As we look forward, Zunibal remains committed not only to pushing technological boundaries but also to bridging gaps—between data and insight, complexity and usability, industrial-scale fleets and artisanal fisheries. The real power of our solutions lies in their flexibility and inclusivity, ensuring no fleet or community is left behind. We recognize that technology is only as impactful as its adoption and acceptance among users, which is why collaboration, local empowerment, and adaptability are core to our approach. By continuously refining our systems to meet evolving industry needs, we’re not simply innovating; we’re building a future where sustainable fishing practices become accessible and achievable for all stakeholders.
Industry Focus is an ongoing series of informational articles profiling companies involved in electronic monitoring and other fishtech pursuits. To include your company, please drop us a line at info@em4.fish.
