The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has announced that vessel monitoring system (VMS) compliance from Commonwealth fisheries reached a peak of 99.4% as a result of the recent AFMA zero-tolerance campaign.
The effort from industry during a recent campaign targeting VMS non-compliance, including failure to have a fully functioning VMS and failure to seek approval to switch off the VMS unit, demonstrated that Australia’s Commonwealth fishing cummunity is committed to supporting well-monitored fisheries, according to an AFMA representative.
Throughout the month AFMA received 13 Temporary Switch Off applications, seven fishing operators were referred for follow up by AFMA’s domestic compliance team and one operator was ordered to return to port to rectify a VMS unit.
AFMA CEO Wez Norris commented that industry clearly supports VMS, with practically 100% compliance demonstrating that industry also support ssustainable fisheries.
“VMS compliance increased from 94.7% in January to a high point of 99.4% during the campaign. VMS is a vital tool that assists fisheries managers in monitoring compliance with fishery management arrangements, and in particular protect areas closed to fishing” he stated.
“The vast majority of Commonwealth fishers follow the VMS rules, but it is important to not let compliance rates drop and that was the purpose of the recent campaign. VMS compliance not only help us manage our fisheries, but it also provides the Australian public with the assurance that Commonwealth commercial fishers are doing the right thing”.
VMS has been mandatory on Commonwealth fishing vessels since 2007 and on Torres Strait boats since 2018.
Australia has the third largest fishing zone in the world and VMS provides AFMA the ability to track and monitor every one of the Australian Commonwealth fishing vessels in any part of the fishing zone and on the high seas.
