The “intelligent fishing port policy” promoted by New Taipei City government starts from the three aspects of “smart management,” “energy conservation” and “friendly tourism,” and it has completed the first stage of construction of intelligent fishing ports. To enhance management efficiency for fishing ports, it, based on the first phase of construction of intelligent fishing ports, has integrated the resources of Fisheries and Fishing Port Affairs Management Office and those managed by other units and introduced intelligent technology equipment to collect and analyze related data and build a database to increase management efficacy, lower manpower expenditure and improve the safety and emergency response abilities of fishing ports to show the achievements of the city’s intelligent technology.
[Taiwan’s First Intelligent Management Center for Fishing Ports]
The area of New Taipei City is large with a 145 kilometers long coastline and 28 fishing ports. The city has the most fishing ports in Taiwan. However, as the locations of these fishing ports scatter, it took a great amount of manpower to manage fishing ports, and it was impossible to immediately command the situations of a fishing port, so the city had to rely mostly on local coast patrol units and fishermen’s associations. To enhance management efficiency for fishing ports, the city government has pioneered in building an intelligent management center for fishing ports to integrate the automatic identification system (AIS), fishing port superintendency system, underwater optical communication system, ship flow monitoring system at fishing ports of Maritime Port Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the management resources of security units. Additionally, it has integrated intelligent equipment to promptly command the developments of fishing ports at the far end with network transmission equipment to overcome barriers in space to greatly decrease manpower expenditure.
[Introduction of AI Image Recognition Management]
Different from a traditional management center that requires monitoring manpower, the intelligent fishing port management center in New Taipei City has introduced the AI (artificial intelligence) image recognition learning technique to automatically recognize and broadcast management personnel’s voice one-way to a fishing port with the installation of monitoring and broadcast equipment. Additionally, the center issues a warning to people regarding a dangerous area and broadcasts at the far end to remind the public and fishermen to pay attention to their own safety or manages a violation. Moreover, the center automatically notifies management personnel to gain the benefits of intelligent management for fishing ports, significantly reducing management manpower expenditure at fishing ports.
[Big Data Management at Fishing Ports]
Data that are collected by the intelligent management center are then compiled into a big data and image database upon being collected and analyzed. The data can serve as references for decision making in the future. Information related to fishing ports such as micrometeorology at fishing ports can be used either for tourism or for the determination of sea currents and marine meteorology around a fishing port to prevent a disaster or forecast. Additionally, information regarding vessels entering and exiting a port can serve as emergency response information for fishing boats to take shelter at a fishing port and berths during a typhoon. The data from the center can be used in various aspects with the city’s smart city policy to reach the prospects of building intelligent fishing ports in New Taipei City.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi indicated that the “intelligent fishing port” project promoted by the city government has gradually changed the city’s fishing ports with the construction of facilities and the environment. It has introduced modern intelligent equipment to effectively diminish management manpower expenditure for fishing ports. Moreover, it has made the management of fishing ports more efficient, gradually realizing the prospects of having intelligent fishing ports.
