North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission

The Scheme of Control and Enforcement (Article 9) that governs NEAFC's Contracting Parties establishes that there must be a system for monitoring the activity of vessels in the Regulatory Area and a way of sharing that information between the Contracting Parties.

Under the NEAFC Scheme, vessels report to their respective (national) Contracting Parties and this information is shared via the NEAFC Secretariat's database. The information from all Contracting Parties is therefore available for use by inspection platforms and NEAFC inspectors entering the NEAFC Regulatory Area. The system is automatic and information is channelled in real time to assist efficient inspection, control and enforcement.

Not all Fisheries Monitoring Centres (FMCs) and Fisheries Communications Centres (FCCs) in the Contracting Parties have implemented the system fully. It is based on point to point communication protocols X.25. or https.

There are strict and detailed rules on confidentiality with respect to detailed information on the fishing activities of single vessels. The NEAFC Secretariat works closely with FMCs. Technical advice on control and enforcement issues is given to the NEAFC Commission by PECCOE and on the coordination of computer systems by the Advisory Group on Data Communication of the NEAFC Secretariat. NEAFC has been asked for assistance from a number of organisations trying to establish VMS in other parts of the world. NEAFC also follows developments in new technology, for example electronic log books or passive and active satellite tracking.