Value Is Now Set Onboard — Not at Landing
Helping the fleet understand how handling, conditioning, temperature control, and onboard process stability increasingly determine product value before landing.
This Month - What's Changed
May 2026
- Polar Systems presented the latest progression of its AI tailing and grading technology at the Aberdeen Skipper Expo.
- Annadale II refit activity now underway as the programme progresses into integrated chilled handling and controlled onboard processing development.
- Development focus now extending beyond automated tailing toward controlled handling, conditioning, temperature management, and process flow integration.
- Observation → Participation framework now being introduced to support structured industry engagement and phased operational involvement.
- Pressure continuing to build across traceability, quality control, labour availability, and operational efficiency within key fisheries.
Read the Latest Position
What’s Happening Now
Tidal Shift | Fisherman’s Briefing
What’s changing across the fleet right now
May confirms a clear shift within the Nephrops sector. Traceability is now operational, handling remains the key driver of value, and industry attention is increasingly focused on efficiency, consistency and return on effort. As pressure increases across the sector, automation is moving from concept toward practical application.
Programme Status — Current Position
What is operating onboard — not what is planned
• Silver Wave — Phase 1 development completed under commercial fishing conditions.
• Annadale II — Integrated chilled handling and controlled process deployment in progress.
• Vision V — Early vessel-specific definition work underway to help evaluate future frozen-sector operational requirements.
Trial Updates & Future Roadmap
What is being proven under real fishing conditions
• Chilled and temperature-controlled processing
• Product conditioning and handling stability
• Workflow and process integration
• Controlled stunning and residency systems
• Metered downstream product flow
• Grading consistency and throughput stability
Value Is Now Set Onboard — Not at Landing
Traceability determines whether product moves.
Handling, conditioning, and temperature determine what it is worth.
The industry is now beginning to respond.
Where Value Is Now Created
- Access to market = documentation
- Price = condition
- Margin = consistency
Value is no longer recovered at sale.
It is either protected through onboard control — or progressively lost before landing.
What This Means for the Fleet
- Handling now directly influences return
- Consistency is increasingly expected
- Poor control results in avoidable loss
The difference is no longer how much is caught —
but how much value is retained.
Built at Sea. Progressing Across the Fleet.
Tide 2030 is a vessel-led development initiative focused on how Nephrops are handled, conditioned, graded, and presented from vessel to shore.
What began as onboard development under real fishing conditions is now progressing into integrated operational evaluation across working vessels.
The programme is focused on understanding how controlled onboard processing environments may improve:
- handling consistency
- process stability
- chilled product control
- operational efficiency
- value retention onboard
Programme Progression
- Silver Wave → Phase 1 complete — core operational development established under commercial conditions.
- Annadale II → Integrated chilled handling and process deployment in progress.
- Vision V → Early vessel-specific definition work underway to help evaluate future frozen-product handling requirements.
The programme now spans both chilled handling development and future freezer-sector operational evaluation.
Observation to Participation
A limited number of vessels are currently engaged in operational development, integration, and evaluation activity.
The Observation → Participation framework is intended to provide a practical and low-pressure route for vessel owners and operators to:
- follow programme progression
- understand operational developments
- evaluate commercial relevance
- engage progressively where appropriate
Participation is structured, selective, and aligned to operational suitability, vessel readiness, and development objectives.
The programme continues to evolve through collaboration between fishermen, engineers, processors, and operational partners working together under real vessel conditions.
Annadale II - Killkeel Harbour
Paterson Engineering working alongside Polar Systems under the direction of Tommy Coneely , during onboard integration activity aboard Annadale II as part of the current process development phase.
Stay Up to Date
Tide 2030 provides ongoing visibility on:
- Fleet activity
- Market conditions
- Regulatory developments
- System progression
Speak Directly
If you want a straight view of how this applies to your vessel:
- Tom Rutherford - Project Lead - Tide 2030
- 07380 843682
- info@tide2030.com