Leveraging
Technology and the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
The technological sophistication of the modern fisherman
is incredible, and demands equivalent technological applications
by law enforcement to ensure that regulations and laws
are being adhered to while at sea.
Fishing quota, harvesting limits, "Closed Areas",
moratoria, special management of fishing zones, and license-limitations
have become more prevalent management tools to protect
our depleting ocean resources.
In 1988, the OLE successfully embarked on a satellite-based
vessel monitoring program to locate high-seas drift-net
fishing vessels and monitor compliance with area restrictions
in the North Pacific Ocean. VMS allows the OLE to monitor
and survey vessels over vast expanses of open-water while
maintaining the confidentiality of fishing positions. VMS
allows the OLE to use 21st century technologies to monitor
compliance, track violators and provide substantial evidence
for prosecution while maintaining the integrity of the
individual fisherman's effort.
The OLE has developed and implemented numerous domestic
VMS systems while re-engineering the infrastructure for
the national VMS program, and there are now 1,528 VMS units
in use.
During FY03, the OLE expanded VMS into the Southeast
by adding VMS requirements to the Highly Migratory Species
Pelagic longline fishery and South Atlantic Rock shrimp
fishery.
A series of meetings were also held with U.S. Coast Guard
personnel to coordinate development of the interface to
pass VMS data directly to USCG operational units.
Although not every fishery in the United States' EEZ
uses VMS, the number is useage is growing. In 1998, when
the US implemented VMS for its EEZ fisheries, only 1,000
foreign high-seas drift-net vessels were required to carry
the devices.
While several of the original 1,000 vessels have be alleviated
from their obligation to carry VMS, numerous more fisheries
were added. In 2003, the number of VMS-equipped fishing
vessels jumped to 1,528. This was partly due to the addition
of the South Highly Migratory Species fishery in Sept 2003
and the Rock Shrimp fishery in Oct 2003.
Through international agreements and obligations through
Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), Convention
for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
(CCAMLR), International Convention for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and requirement to utilize more-cost
effective enforcement measures, the expansion of VMS-equipped
vessels will undoubtably increase.
