Fisheries agency upgrades systems

THE Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) has two new systems for vessel registrations and port state measures – a major upgrade and development to its monitoring and surveillance efforts.
FFA director-general Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen said the electronic vessel register and the electronic port state measures (e-PSM) system were developed in partnership with the Australian web-developer Eighty Options, and supported by the New Zealand government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
It was launched during the 27th annual monitoring control surveillance working group meeting currently underway in Honiara.
“The systems mark a significant advancement and milestone achievement in FFA’s efforts to move from paper-based to electronic-reporting in the fisheries sector,” Tupou-Roosen said.
“This is a significant step towards data access, accuracy and efficiency to inform vessel registration and risk assessment processes, and exchange of information to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and to promote sustainable fisheries management across the Pacific. Vessel operators can directly upload documents, and monitor their application status online, significantly reducing manual processing times and improving the accuracy of the vessel registry information.
“Developed in close consultation with FFA members, the e-PSM system operationalises the regional PSM framework and is aligned with international standards set by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Food and Agriculture Organisation Port State Measures Agreement.”