Report of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission Workshop on Vessel Monitoring Systems. Saly, Senegal, 14-17 oct 2002

Abstract

This document contains the report of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) Workshop on Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) which was held in Saly, Senegal, from 14 to 17 October 2002. The Workshop was arranged by FAO at the request of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission, as part of FAO’s cooperative work with States and regional fisheries organizations to implement the International Plan of Action (IPOA) to Prevent, Deter or Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, and to promote the use of VMS as an additional instrument for monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) of fisheries. The objectives of the Workshop were: a) to sensitize the SRFC Member States on the potential of VMS as a complement to their other MCS activities; and b) to foster discussions at a technical level leading to the formulation of a subregional strategy for cooperation on VMS. FAO technical officers and invited experts presented several reports to the Workshop that covered topics including the history of MCS, the IPOA/IUU Fishing, recent experiences with MCS and IUU fishing in the Subregion, VMS infrastructure and procedures, institutional options for VMS within the Subregion, legal aspects of VMS, and putting VMS into practice. Members of the SRFC and Sierra Leone (SRFC Associate) briefed the Workshop on the status of MCS and VMS in their respective countries. The Workshop then reviewed a range of VMS options that could be considered in the Subregion. Participants divided themselves into three working groups, each to consider the following three questions: a) Is VMS cooperation necessary in the Subregion, and if so for what reasons? b) What is the nature of the cooperation required? and c) What actions should be taken at national level and at subregional level to achieve this cooperation? The Workshop endorsed the conclusions of the working groups and suggested that the following actions could be considered by the Coordinating Committee of the SRFC: