In response to the European Unions objective aiming at tracing and checking fishery products throughout the entire chain, Visveiling Urk initiated a pilot project for a uniform identification and traceability of fish boxes and their content during all phases of catch, sale and processing.
The goal of the project is to create a proof of concept based on RFID technology amongst others, allowing the realisation of a sound “track & trace� methodology and environment that can serve as a model for the rest of the fisheries industry. The final concept has to be accessible and practicable for all chain partners � big and small � and should therefore be based on the latest technological developments, while also being approachable enough for smaller companies to join.
For the realisation of the pilot project, Visveiling Urk opted to work with RFID technology. Boxes were equipped with RFID tags, each tag having a unique identification number to which all relevant box and content information is linked. This information can be completed, read, updated and managed throughout the entire chain.
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Belgian fish auctions go for full traceability of fish!
In response to the European directives regarding the raceability of fish catches and their follow-up throughout the chain, Vereniging Vlaamse Visveilingen (Union of Flemish Fish Auctions) launched in February 2015, a tender for the implementation of a track and trace solution based on RFID technology, complemented with linear and 2D barcode techniques. On May 21, 2015, the contract was awarded to Aucxis. The objective of the contract is to roll out a track and trace solution in the 3 Belgian fish auctions of Zeebrugge, Ostend and Nieuwpoort after a positive evaluation of the pilot project in September. The basic principle of the project is that the product information is linked to the fish boxes which are followed as far as their final destination in the chain. Aucxis also won the contract for the complementary project involving the development of a box pool management system and web
application for the 86.000 new RFID fish boxes. In a later stage also all existing fish boxes will be tagged in order to obtain a comprehensive management of all fish boxes circulating at the three fish auctions and the other players in the chain.
The RFID solution proposed by Aucxis includes the supply of 15 fork-lift truck terminals, 39 RFID portals, 4 industrial input terminals for the fish box pool management and 12 RFID handheld scanners. Both contracts together represent a value of 582.000 Euro.