Fujairah adopts digital fisheries tracking system to boost transparency and sustainability

Fujairah has recently joined the list of emirates implementing a digital fisheries tracking system, a move that’s being seen as a pretty important step toward more accurate data collection, tighter oversight, and greater transparency in the UAE’s seafood supply chain.

This platform, called SFS Fisheries, was created by Seafood Souq and initially launched in Sharjah about five months ago, at Souq Al Jubail. As reported by Sharjah24 and Gulf Today, that Sharjah rollout marked a kind of milestone, it’s the region’s first comprehensive digital system for tracking fishing activities. Each vessel was given a QR code that officials and buyers can scan to verify licenses, catch type, where the fish came from, and how much was landed.

Now, its extension into Fujairah suggests that this approach is gaining momentum beyond just one emirate. The latest expansion comes after a memorandum of understanding between the Fujairah Fishermen Cooperative and Seafood Souq, signaling that local industry groups aren’t just interested anymore, they’re starting to adopt this system in a more official capacity. The agreement was signed by Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, who’s a co-founder of Seafood Souq, along with Mahmood Hassan Al Ali, chair of the Fujairah Fishermen Cooperative. The event was also attended by Dr. Ibrahim Al Jamali from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, as well as Sulaiman Rashid Al Khadeem, chair of the UAE Federation of Fishermen Associations.

Practically speaking, this system is replacing a pretty complicated, paper-based record-keeping process with a digital trail. It involves a mobile app, an electronic logbook, and tools for validating landings, so fishing activities can be updated in real time. Each boat that’s registered gets a QR code, which, when scanned, allows regulators, traders, and even consumers to access key data almost instantly. This info includes whether the vessel is properly registered, what kind of fish was caught, where it was caught, when it arrived at port, and how much was delivered.

For a sector that still heavily relies on manual paperwork in many places, that’s kind of a big deal. Seafood Souq emphasizes that it’s not just about making things more efficient but also about building trust. Basically, they argue that traceability is becoming a must-have in the market, not just some technical upgrade, because buyers now want to know exactly where their seafood comes from and that it was responsibly sourced. From a climate and food security point of view, this mirrors a broader push in the UAE to modernize supply chains while still supporting local fishermen’s livelihoods.

The early results from Sharjah seem to back this up. Recent figures show that over 140,000 kilograms of seafood from more than 130 vessels, covering over 50 different local species, has already been verified digitally at just one landing point. That’s a pretty solid proof of concept and indicates that digital systems can handle real market volumes, not just staged demonstrations.

Adding Fujairah into the mix makes it even more interesting. Going forward, landings at approved sites will be digitally logged and linked to vessel info. Each shipment will also be accompanied by digital catch certificates, which are intended to serve as verified proof of origin, helping buyers confirm that the fish is authentic, fresh, and properly tracked through the chain of custody.

And this is especially relevant in the Gulf region, where seafood sits right at the intersection of food security, coastal livelihoods, and dependence on imports. Reporting from Sharjah pointed out that the initial launch was part of a broader national effort, aimed at strengthening food security and increasing transparency in the market. Seafood Souq has suggested that these kinds of systems could also help boost the competitiveness of UAE-caught seafood by shifting focus away from informal pricing and toward documented quality.

The Fujairah agreement isn’t just about software. It also includes provisions for sharing data, offering technical advice, and doing joint research and training. That’s key, especially for those interested in climate tech, because the real value comes when these digital systems are widely adopted, training fishermen, standardizing landing procedures, and instilling confidence among buyers are all crucial for making traceability routine rather than an afterthought or checklist item.

The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has been pushing for a more unified fisheries framework across all seven emirates. So, Fujairah’s move isn’t just an isolated event; it’s another step toward creating a nationwide system. If more emirates follow suit, the goal of overseeing marine catch from the boat all the way to points of sale could actually become a reality.

Seafood Souq sees this project as part of a broader sustainability effort. Its traceability platforms, including the SFS Trace system mentioned in their materials, aim to gather data throughout the supply chain and make it easier to document catches and trade flows. This kind of visibility, they say, not only helps meet environmental goals but can also improve market access for local seafood.

Timing-wise, it’s pretty interesting for the UAE. The seafood market is currently worth about $1.49 billion and is expected to keep growing in the next decade, driven by rising demand for protein, a booming hospitality industry, and growing consumer interest in sustainability and sourcing transparency. In that context, traceability is quickly becoming an integral part of the market infrastructure, not just a nice-to-have.

All in all, Fujairah adopting SFS Fisheries isn’t simply a tech implementation at the local level. It’s a reflection of a larger shift, how marine resources are managed, how seafood trades happen, and how trust is built in an industry that’s increasingly being asked to demonstrate its environmental responsibility and economic value.