Real-Time Load Monitoring System for Tuna Fishing Ships: A Solution to Combat Illegal Transshipment

Abstract Illegal fishing activities are the biggest challenge for Indonesia in protecting its territorial waters from illegal fish transhipment. To address this issue, a real-time load measurement system is needed on ships. Real-time measurement devices can also replace land-based measurement functions, thus improving the quality of catch during the transfer of tuna from the ship to the cold storage. The method used in this research is testing, which requires real data to support and simulate the implementation of the study. The research involves a prototype that utilizes a load cell as a sensor for detecting the mass of fish, and NodeMCU as a microcontroller programmed with Arduino IDE language. The prototype is integrated with Wi-Fi to send data to a MySQL database. The sensor circuit consists of four load cells, a junction box, and an HX711 amplifier. The results of the sensor experiment at a 12-degree tilt condition, which indicates the roll or trim condition of the ship, show a decrease in sensor accuracy and relatively unstable results compared to normal conditions. The average accuracy rate of sensor readings under normal conditions is 99.42%, while the average accuracy rate of sensor readings at a 12-degree tilt is 96.98%.