Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar has ordered the mandatory installation of vessel monitoring measures (VMM) and electronic reporting system (ERS) to all fishing vessels in a bid to intensify the country’s efforts against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF).
Dar signed the Fisheries Administrative Order 266 last October 12 that updated FAO 260 of 2018, which was the government’s initial efforts in implementing VMM.
FAO 260 only covered commercial vessels catching straddling and highly migratory fish stocks.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said the VMM is used to “track and monitor the position, course, and speed of fishing vessels at any given time for the purpose of management of fisheries and fishing effort and traceability.”
Oceana and other civil-society groups, local governments and artisanal fisherfolk lauded DA and BFAR’s issuance for the much-sought fishing vessel monitoring rules. They said the move is a timely and important step in support of the country’s food security.
In a news statement, they said that fishing monitoring technology will make monitoring in municipal waters more efficient and will deter and prevent illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing.
Meanwhile, fisheries and other marine resources will be able to recover from decades of overexploitation and abuse, and produce sustainable seafood for our future, they said.
The VMM was a product of public consultations and deliberation by the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC), the country’s highest recommending and advisory body on fisheries policies, according to BFAR.
“The system will use an Automatic Location Communicator [ALC], or a tracking device equipped with a distress alert button, which when activated will automatically locate the vessel and alert authorities during accidents, or other emergencies, ensuring safety of fishers at sea,” BFAR said.
Based on the new FAO, the installation of fully operational tracking devices is now a requirement for registration, or renewal of a vessel’s license, the BFAR said.
“Aside from this, an Electronic Reporting System will be used to record and transmit catch data, including species and volume of fish caught, position of the vessel where the fish are caught, vessel activity, and port of origin and arrival in real time,” it said.
“The system will improve the country’s catch documentation and seafood traceability,” it added.
BFAR said the data from the ERS and VMS would also be used in tracking fishing behavior for scientific research and serve as a basis for more effective fisheries management measures.
“Based on the new FAO, vessels weighing 3.1 to less than 30 GT must have a DA-BFAR- approved VMS installed within one year from the effectivity of the FAO,” it said.
“For vessels weighing 30 GT or more, VMS must be installed immediately as required by FAO 260,” it added. With Jonathan L. Mayuga