First At-Scale Trial — 80 Smart Buoys in Punta Abreojos, Mexico

In September 2024, BUOY.fish partnered with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), Pro Natura, Fedecoop, and the Ocean Conservancy to deploy 80 GPS-enabled smart buoys in Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur, Mexico — the largest single deployment of connected fishing gear tracking technology in history.

The Scale of Ghost Gear

Research published in Science Advances estimates that more than 25 million pots and traps are lost to the ocean annually. Industry analysts put loss rates at 10-20% of deployed gear each year. In the Mid-Atlantic region alone, derelict crab pots kill an estimated 3.3 million blue crabs annually. Unlike other ocean debris, lost pots and traps continue to catch and kill their target species for years — a problem known as "ghost fishing."

Punta Abreojos is home to a federation of 12 fishing cooperatives, each representing 20-40 fishermen, with an estimated 25,000 buoys in the region's lobster and verdillo fisheries. Self-reported gear loss rates hover around 2.5% per year, but industry averages suggest the true number may be far higher.

Building the Network

Before deploying a single buoy, we had to build wireless coverage from scratch. The BUOY team — Tal McGowan, Jameson Buffmire, and Andrew Buffmire — traveled to Punta Abreojos to install LoRaWAN infrastructure across the region.

We deployed three high-power outdoor LoRaWAN towers with 8dBi antennas and three low-power indoor gateways, installed at Fedecoop's regional headquarters, an estuary outpost, and Black Bass Lodge's beachfront property. To validate coverage, we installed 10 mapping devices on local panga boats, confirming reliable connectivity up to 15 miles offshore with regular pings exceeding 40 miles in ideal conditions.

The key learning: antenna height is the single most important factor for range. A 65-foot tower with an omnidirectional antenna dramatically outperformed lower-mounted directional alternatives, even those with higher gain specifications.

Smart Buoys in the Water

With coverage established, we assembled, programmed, and onboarded 80 connected spindles — GPS-enabled smart buoys designed to be integrated into existing lobster fishing gear. Each buoy broadcasts its position over the LoRaWAN network, providing fishermen with 24/7 location awareness through our tracking app.

The deployment began with a presentation to the fishing community. Fishermen were immediately engaged and enthusiastic. We worked together to refine the product in the field, including adjustments to the weighted shackle design based on direct feedback from the cooperative members who would be using them daily.

The Results

By December 2024, three months into the deployment:

• 160,000+ location payloads recorded in our database
• 62 out of 70 deployed units broadcasting within the last 24 hours
• 20 satellite-enabled buoys reporting via Omnispace S-Band link, with 514 satellite transmissions received
• Local fishermen had begun painting BUOY.fish buoys in their traditional colors — a powerful signal of adoption into their daily workflow

That last detail matters more than any technical metric. Juan Jose Cota Nieto ("Chancho"), a marine wildlife biologist at Fedecoop, flagged this to our team as a milestone: when fishermen personalize the equipment, it means they've accepted it as their own.

Satellite Communications

Alongside the LoRaWAN deployment, we began testing direct-to-satellite communications via Omnispace's S-Band network. This is critical for gear deployed far offshore, beyond the reach of terrestrial coverage. The Omnispace satellites pass over the Punta Abreojos region 2-3 times per day, and at any given time can cover a quarter to a third of the earth's surface.

Early results showed the potential — one buoy ("Ranger") transmitted 376 satellite payloads alone — while also revealing hardware refinements needed around antenna design in the potting compound that waterproofs our electronics.

What This Proved

The Punta Abreojos deployment validated that connected fishing gear tracking can work at commercial scale, in a remote region, at a fraction of the cost of satellite-only alternatives. Traditional satellite buoys can exceed $2,000 in hardware plus $30-100/month per device. BUOY.fish SmartBuoys cost a fraction of that, with LoRa network fees measured in fractions of a cent per packet.

The $45,000 pilot — funded by GGGI ($20,000) and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners ($25,000) — demonstrated that the technology works, fishermen want it, and the economics make sense for widespread adoption. These results directly informed our expansion to Nova Scotia and our upcoming deployment in Punta Eugenia and Isla Natividad.

Interested in deploying BUOY.fish in your fishery? Get in touch, or try the live demo.