VMS (Vessel Monitoring System)
VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) is a system that uses satellites to collect data on vessel names, dates, times, positions, courses, etc. and monitors vessels 24 hours a day. By using satellites, vessels such as fishing boats operating in a wide range of oceans can be monitored efficiently and with high accuracy.
Illustration: Created by Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.
The VMS has two main purposes.
(Purpose 1) Rescue in emergencies such as distress
In the event of a natural disaster or unforeseen incident, the VMS will enable nearby authorities and vessels to carry out rapid rescue.
(Objective 2) Resolving the IUU fishing issue
UIUFishing operations are serious problems not only because they do not comply with resource management rules, but also because they destroy the marine environment and biodiversity, and are a breeding ground for human rights violations. By introducing VMS as one of the tools to solve this situation and tracking and monitoring fishing vessels, authorities in each country can check compliance with resource management rules. If a fishing vessel from a member state of an RFMO (Regional Fisheries Management Organization) engages in illegal fishing, the vessel in question will be made public on a website. In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service uses VMS as important evidence when prosecuting violators.
VMS installation regulations vary by country. In the United States, VMS is currently installed on over 4,000 fishing vessels (*1), and where they are operating is tracked and recorded. Norway and Australia, which have been actively working to achieve sustainable fishing and have made large profits, have also installed VMS on their fishing vessels.
Since crew members can operate the switch on the VMS, there is a problem of illegal fishing being conducted without activating it. Therefore, in Japan, the revised Fisheries Law requires that fishing vessels operating under ministerial permission must install a VMS and keep it activated during fishing. This will strengthen the monitoring system for IUU fishing.
*1 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/node/696
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