August 22, 2004
Fish bar code system under development
A new cell phone information system is being developed to enable consumers to receive detailed information about fish at retail stores, including where and when the fish was caught and by whom, reports the Daily Yomiuri Online via Engadget.
"DoCoMo Sentsu and the NPO, Fishing Boat and System Engineering Association, will test the system in a series of experiments next month on sanma (Pacific saury) caught off Kushiro, eastern Hokkaido.
In the experiments, on-the-spot information, such as the names of the fishermen, the cooperatives they belong to, and where and when the fishery operations were conducted, will be transmitted from fishing boats to a data processing center via telecommunications satellites.
At ports where the fish is unloaded, information from the fishing boats will be converted into QR codes so fishery certificates containing the information can be issued by the fishermen's cooperatives concerned.
After these certificates are printed, they will be affixed to boxes of sanma at the time of their shipment.
Copies of the certificates will be placed alongside the fish being sold at supermarkets and other retailers.
If customers being served the fish at restaurants are shown the certificates, they will be able to pick up the information on their cell phones, providing that they are able to pick up satellite-relayed information, DoCoMo Sentsu said.
Web site addresses and phone numbers of offices will be included so that customers can make inquiries if necessary, according to the company. "
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