Vessel Monitoring System and Fisheries Management：A Study of International Trends, Practices of States and RFMOs, and Taiwan’s Policy

• Main Authors: Chen Wen-Sen, 陳文深
• Other Authors: Song, Yann-Huei
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/88071764387985997759

碩士 === 國立海洋大學 === 應用經濟研究所 === 91 === This study focuses on regulations of vessel monitoring system (VMS) and the development of VMS technology. Through the discoveries of the study, it is hoped that the local management system of VMS could have a connection to international fisheries management and develop in accordance with it. International fisheries organizations are authorized by international conventions and agreements with the rights of conservation, management and trade sanctions, and they practically enforce these rights through monitoring, control and surveillance measures. VMS is able to provide near real-time vessel position and catch information; hence, in the near future, main commercial fisheries will be required to install VMS on the vessels. International fisheries laws related have already requested flag states to develop appropriate VMS and their fishing vessels are supposed to install VMS according to the rules set by flag states. To ensure the practice of fisheries resources reservation, coastal states can also ask foreign fishing vessels operating in their Exclusive Economic Zone or territorial seas to be equipped with VMS. Moreover, if fishing vessels entering port states with VMS, it is helpful for the port states to get aboard the vessels for inspection. Therefore, it is expected that VMS will be widely used in fisheries management in the future. Our fishing vessels usually operate for a long period of time on the sea, which may extend to over one year and they use foreign ports as bases for repair. As a result, the VMS already installed is either an old version or an updated one, many of whose additional functions do not work effectively. In addition, since catch report is becoming more detailed, the software of catch report keeps changing and this causes vessel crew to spend time getting familiar with operating the software. Consequently, when planning catch report software, the government should ask experts to develop a catch report software which can be updated on-line, so as to avoid causing trouble for the crew. As to the steady catch report coming from the software of VMS, measures of procedure simplification should be taken in the future. For example, fishing vessels that report catch through VMS should be allowed not to fill out logbook, so as to encourage catch report through VMS and promote the policy of electronicalizing logbook and thereby the goals of transparent vessel operation, real-time monitoring and conservation of manpower can be reached. When it comes to the standardization of installing VMS and identification procedures, the government should set clear regulations with reference to the management of information security and confidentiality adopted by international fisheries organizations. Furthermore, speaking of the VMS frequency of vessel position report in terms of the international trend, it’s very likely to be once every 6 hour. Consequently, the fisheries industry should be informed and get themselves prepared.