For more than 50 years, the family-owned Australian Wildcatch Fishing (AWF) has operated off of Australia’s southeastern coast. AWF delivers their catch fresh to wholesale and retail outlets in Melbourne, Sydney, and surrounding communities.

Crews aboard their fishing vessels practice methods designed to sustain long-term marine ecosystem health. One of them, the Tullaberga, is a six-person, 21.56-meter advanced trawler with a gross register tonnage of 125 tons. The Tullaberga operates within the Commonwealth Trawl Sector, a highly regulated fishing area that stretches from Barrenjoey Point, New South Wales, and around Tasmania to Cape Jervis, South Australia. These seas are some of the roughest in the world, and the safety of the vessel and its crew are vital.

Available through Iridium Connected^™ maritime terminals, the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) provides the Tullaberga crew with vital maritime safety updates and weather warnings, regardless of sea conditions or location. Iridium’s all-in-one terminal format combines GMDSS, Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT), and Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) alongside critical data and voice communications that give crews access to email, navigation maps, and even the latest fish prices. By combining several separate safety and regulatory services into one terminal, Iridium GMDSS reduces both equipment and operating costs.

AWF co-owner Adam Guillot appreciates the peace of mind Iridium GMDSS brings the Tullaberga crew.

“Safety is always at the forefront of our operations, but we saw operating costs rising for GMDSS with no perceivable benefits for those higher fees,” he said. “Installing Iridium GMDSS onto the vessel ensures our crew members have the most modern satellite safety system available, which reduces our operating costs.”

In December 2024, Iridium GMDSS launched over Iridium Certus, offering vessels the most complete safety and regulatory satcom solution—as well as a companion to Ku- and Ka-band terminals.

“Iridium GMDSS over Iridium Certus represents the pinnacle of GMDSS services available to seafarers,” said Wouter Deknopper, Iridium Vice President of Maritime. “Despite the rapidly changing nature of maritime communications, GMDSS services have evolved at a slower pace. This created a divide between GMDSS equipment and the data requirements of a modern vessel. Iridium GMDSS bridges that gap, combining GMDSS, LRIT, SSAS, and now a backup to Starlink or VSAT broadband data into a single terminal. The combination of these services creates a scale of economy by removing network access fees for several pieces of equipment.”