Hey all,

FFI's partners in Costa Rica recently started trialling tracking devices on small-scale artisanal fishers vessels in a newly designated MPA in order to demonstrate how these fishers use the site and to enable their fishing association to become a participant in the new MPA's management.

The tech for these trackers was developed by a local Costa Rican tech company and is, I believe, a proprietary system. I've heard people say that low-tech, robust vessel trackers will become a bit of an arms-race and that they will start to become very cheap and increasingly flexible in their functionality. Does anyone have any experience in/know of similar kinds of trials?

I'm particularly interested in a) what the conservation objective was of the trial, b) how data collected by the trackers were eventually used (i.e. by whom, in what form) and c) preferred brands/systems that were used. 

Thanks!

Dan