Kongsberg Discovery announces next generation trawl sonar

Published: 21.11.2024 kl. 09.35
The FS80 delivers operational flexibility, and reliable results, that all customers can take advantage of – whatever the pelagic fish types, whatever the size of the trawl. Photo; Kongsberg Discovery
The FS80 delivers operational flexibility, and reliable results, that all customers can take advantage of – whatever the pelagic fish types, whatever the size of the trawl. Photo; Kongsberg Discovery

Kongsberg Discovery is heralding a new age of efficient, simplified and sustainable pelagic trawling with today’s launch of the breakthrough FS80 Trawl Sonar at Pacific Marine Expo (PME). 
 
The compact, modular and multifrequency solution is the market’s first sonar system to combine net monitoring, intake profiling and bottom detection in a single unit, making the very latest sonar technology accessible to fishery customers, big and small.
 
SIMRAD STRENGTH
Norwegian-headquartered Kongsberg Discovery, a global leader in underwater robotics and sensor technology, has decades of experience in professional fish-finding solutions. Its SIMRAD range has established itself as the world’s most recognised brand in this specialist niche, with sonars, echo sounders, gear monitoring systems, and more, giving customers seeking sustainable success a strong competitive edge.
 
As Mads Dahl, V.P. Sales, Kongsberg Discovery, explains, the FS80 Trawl Sonar builds on that strong pedigree, while taking performance to the “next level”.
 
INTEGRATED EFFICIENCY
Dahl explains: “Our market experience and understanding gives us unique insight into customer pain points, while our technological expertise allows us to develop the solutions to solve them. The FS80 Trawl Sonar provides the proof.
 
“This is a first time a truly integrated system has hit the market, with a wide range of functionality and advanced multifrequency performance, delivering an operational flexibility, and reliable results, that all customers can take advantage of – whatever the pelagic fish types, whatever the size of the trawl. To enable more sustainable trawling, both environmentally and commercially, fishery businesses need precise targeting, control and monitoring abilities. 
 
“The FS80 Trawl Sonar is tailored to deliver, opening a new window for efficient, responsible and profitable performance.”
 
OPTIMAL APPROACH
The FS80 builds on the legacy of the enduringly popular FS70, which has been a trusted market leader for the past 20 years. Alongside the upgrade in performance and integration, the new solution also supports a broad range of different telemetry cables, easing adoption for diverse customers.
 
A further innovation comes in its modularity. As Dahl reveals, Kongsberg Discovery is on the cusp of launching the FH80 HUB, a central platform upon which modular components, such as the FS80, can be based. This allows customers to “pick and mix” the optimal Kongsberg Discovery technology for their individual needs, giving them a unified, high performance trawling approach.
 
SCALABLE SUCCESS
“The modular nature of this solution, and our complementary systems, adds a further degree of flexibility and efficiency for customers,” Dahl notes. “Components such as the FS80 can be integrated with, for example, cameras, lamps, active selectors and acoustic modems for door control. This creates a scalable ecosystem that will continue evolving as it matures, with the ability to add the very latest innovations – such as AI-driven monitoring and intervention technologies – in the years to come. We see this as the beginning of a new era of sustainable success, both for Kongsberg Discovery and SIMRAD, and our many valued customers.”
 
To see the FS80 Trawl Sonar, and discover many more marine and fishery innovations, please visit Kongsberg Discovery at PME in booth #921 at Lumen Event Center.

 

John Inge Vikan

jiv[a]maritimt.com