TronTracker: From AIS to AMRD-B – why the shift was necessary
The problem with AIS-based gear tracking
AIS technology has long been used creatively by fishermen to mark stationary fishing gear such as pots, gillnets, and longlines. While this provided excellent visibility and efficient retrieval, the use was never fully legal. And as the number of AIS buoys increased, so did the challenges within maritime safety and regulatory compliance. With thousands of AIS buoys deployed along the coast, many of them mistakenly signaled to nearby vessels that they were actual ships – which they were not – creating a serious safety concern.
These growing concerns eventually prompted action from national authorities, and in early 2025 both the Norwegian Coastal Administration and the Norwegian Communications Authorities (Nkom) stepped in to address the issue. They instituted a formal ban which prohibited the use of AIS technology for marking stationary fishing gear, leaving many fishermen both frustrated as well as in need of a legal and reliable alternative.
TronTracker is purpose-built for the fishing industry
This is where TronTracker comes into play. With decades of experience developing communication and safety equipment for maritime environments, Jotron’s R&D-teams have designed TronTracker to specifically meet the new needs of fishermen. TronTracker operates on the license-free 160.900 MHz frequency and is classified as AMRD-B type equipment, making it fully compliant with current regulations and ideal marking stationary fishing gear, without interfering with vessel communication.
Unlike the AIS, TronTracker is purpose-built for modern gear tracking and designed to withstand the harsh realities of coastal fishing, combining robust performance with ease of use. Used with gillnets, longlines, Danish seine, crab pots and similar, we created it with the fishermen in mind.
Saving time, fuel, and costs through smarter tracking
The newly developed TronTracker is designed to help the fishing industry by streamlining the process of locating their fishing gear, adding functionality and keeping it easy to use.
Key features include:
- Accurate and timely position data, decreasing the time spent searching for gear at sea
- Seamless integration with vessel chart systems, allowing real time gear-tracking to be viewed alongside navigational data
- Improved operational efficiency resulting in faster retrieval and lower fuel consumption, leading to lower overall costs
- Enhanced location accuracy through network effect, as more and more vessels adopt the system, gear retrieval gets even faster and more predictable
- Robust and reliable, withstands depths of up to 100 meters
These features and product qualities have been validated through winter field testing in northern Norway for gillnet and longline fishing.
A network of helpers – the more, the better
TronTracker is a fishing buoy tracking system designed to work both individually and in collaboration with other vessels. When multiple users are nearby, they act as relay stations, forwarding the position of the fishing gear. This provides faster and more accurate location data – a functionality that becomes increasingly effective as more users adopt the system along the coast.
Even non-fishing vessels that wish to avoid running over marked gear can install receiver equipment and contribute to the network.
Durable and environmentally friendly
The new buoys are built to withstand harsh conditions – including submersion to depths of 100 meters. With a two-year warranty and robust construction, they are built to last. This is also proven by testing the TronTracker during winter season in North of Norway and from long liner fishing vessel that operates over long period of time.
The future is mobile
This system will likely never be mandatory, since the AMRD-B frequency is license-free, but we believe many will see the value in adopting it. The more users, the better the overview and the safer the coastal waters.
TronTracker represents an important step forward for the fishing industry – a solution that combines technology, usability, sustainability, and cost-efficiency.
Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund
The development of TronTracker began in collaboration with the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund. The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund is the retail sector’s joint major initiative to address environmental challenges related to plastic. At the same time, it is Norway’s most significant contribution to fulfilling the EU’s plastic carrier bag directive. They support initiatives that reduce plastic pollution, increase plastic recycling, and contribute to more sustainable solutions.
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