The South African Fisheries Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)

Introduction The South African Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) is an extremely complex system, which has been in operation since March 2000. There are currently in excess of 1000 fishing vessels active on the database. The diversity of our fisheries has led to the approval of two different types of VMS units which provide coverage ranging from global coverage (Inmarsat - C) to 50 Nautical Miles (NM) offshore (Ozone VMS units). Each unit utilises different communications protocols that are routed to the central VMS database.

The VMS is primarily a Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) tool, ensuring that the provisions of the Marine Living Resources Act, the Regulations promulgated in terms thereof, permit conditions and international legislation and agreements are met by utilising data obtained from the VMS, both within and outside of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The VMS database comprises a large number of “tools” that can be utilised to meet Fisheries’ various MCS and other requirements.

The database software allows for any Closed Areas, Restricted Areas, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to be loaded and displayed.

Thus, from a Compliance perspective, the VMS may be utilised to check when vessels enter harbours or “no-go” areas, and in addition, the system will also reflect when a report from a vessel’s VMS unit is overdue. In these instances, Vessel and System Alarms are generated on the VMS and this requires that an Operator investigates the alarm, as shown below.

Upon investigation, the VMS Operator may require to confirm any of the vessel’s previously populated details.

Should the VMS user find it necessary to contact the vessel owner or company, this information is also available in a drop-down menu on the afore-mentioned panel.

Once a vessel has been found to have transgressed e. g Once a vessel has been found to have transgressed e.g. if it has entered a Marine Protected Area (MPA), this positional data may be displayed as a plot on a chart and labelled accordingly, as shown below, or the history logs can be produced, as shown on the following slide.

Herewith the VMS history log of a vessel, with the data displayed in text format. This information may then also be made available to the relevant vessel owner or company as proof that the transgression has taken place (it can also be used as evidence, during court cases).

Vessel Monitoring System Permit Conditions In cases of emergency such as bad weather, the permit holder must obtain written authorisation before the fishing vessel enters or intends to enter into a Marine Protected Area or any other area closed for fishing. The request must clearly set out the nature of emergency and motivate why the request be granted. Such request must be sent via fax or e-mail to the VMS Operations Centre

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