BKA Logistics brings Alaskan salmon to needy in Guatemala

BKA Logistics brings Alaskan salmon to needy in Guatemala    A Washington, D.C. logistics firm contracted to handle parts of the U.S. Government Food Aid program said Wednesday it is helping to bring Alaskan salmon to Guatemala.
   Under the new program, school children in Guatemala City will taste canned wild Alaskan salmon for the first time, said officials at BKA Logistics. The project is set up to test two initiatives: to introduce the Alaskan produced commodity as a viable component for U.S. Government Food Aid programs; and to pilot test original radio frequency identification technology in remote locations. BKA said it is arranging all modes of transportation and clearances required to get the donated canned fish from Alaska to Guatemala, as well as to Bolivia and Bissau, Guinea Bissau.
   “We routinely assist in international food aid shipments, but this is the first time that newly created RFID technology will be used not only to monitor one of the containers, but to track the pallets loaded inside,” Jim Mead, president of BKA Logistics, said in a statement.
   The container tagged for tracking is being delivered to a warehouse in Guatemala, and from there the RFID tagged pallets of canned fish are being distributed by truck to different schools in Guatemala City and to more remote locations.
   “It also has sensors that alert us each time the container doors are opened,” said Mike Nicometo, director of special projects at Franwell Inc. and director of Global IS for the Cool Chain Group AG. “That way we can make sure the container is opened only at times when it should be and not during transit or at unscheduled stops along the way.”
   The RFID technology was donated by Franwell, based in Norwalk, Conn. ISR Systems, based in Newport Beach, Calif., provided the ocean container GPS device, the open door sensor, communications infrastructure, a Web site for map and satellite tracking of the container, alerts for door open status and a full set of support resources.
   The project is being underwritten by the State of Alaska’s Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, along with local Alaskan fishermen organized under the Cordova District Fishermen United.