The UK Overseas Territory Government of Montserrat Fisheries Division is proactively embracing cutting edge VMS technology to support the management and protection of coastal and marine resources.
The groundbreaking initiative is being delivered by The Government of Montserrat (GoM) in partnership with Succorfish, a UK-based, provider of global GPS tracking systems and marine and maritime vessel monitoring systems (VMS).
Succorfish VMS technology has been designed to allow small scale, 3-10m fishing vessels, like those operating in Montserrat, to accurately record, monitor and map their exact location to within two metres from every minute to every hour. It significantly enhances fisheries management activities by supporting legal frameworks for spatial planning, protecting areas of conservation by deterring illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and improving safety at sea for inshore and offshore fishing vessels.
As well as allowing authorities like the Government of UK Overseas Territory of Montserrat to improve its fisheries data collection and information systems required for future policy, it also supports the 2011-2020 National Sustainable Development Plan that recognises the importance of maintaining healthy marine ecosystems as a foundation for socioeconomic development in the future.
The Government’s Fisheries Division will join several international Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO) including UK, USA, Asia and Australia to implement VMS as part of their legal framework for fisheries resource management from July 2014.
Tom Rossiter, Head of Marine at Succorfish commented, “This low cost, cost effective, inshore VMS system uses innovative mobile phone technology and offers a highly efficient and effective tool for Government’s like Montserrat to plan responsible fisheries management. The data collected is invaluable and we are confident that this project will form the foundation of a larger data collection programme that embraces next generation technology and engages other like-minded Governments in the Caribbean.”
Once data from the GoM’s initiative is delivered, it is hoped that Succorfish inshore VMS technology could become an integral management tool for Montserrat marine authorities as well as Governments within the wider Caribbean region.
