Ireland rolls out sea-fisheries compliance system

An IT system designed to support increased compliance with sea-fishing regulations is nearing completion.

VALID, a fully automated cross-check system developed for the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Defence Force’s Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) will automatically verify data, including in real-time.

The system, designed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Information Management Team within the current Integrated Fisheries Information System (IFIS), will cross-check data* provided in the electronic logbooks by the vessel Master.

VALID will also cross-check information provided by buyers on sales notes, allowing immediate identification of inconsistencies, errors and missing information.

Data gathering

Dr Susan Steele, chair of the SFPA, believes the benefits of VALID will be felt across the fishing industry:

“The majority of fishermen and buyers are compliant with the regulations, filing out their logbooks and sales notes correctly.

“The automated system is enabling us to gather better information on where there is risk of non-compliance with fishing regulations, thereby allowing us to target our resources at those vessels and fishing activities that have a higher risk of non-compliance.

“Going forward, VALID will aid us as we work to deter any future illegal fishing violations.”

The SFPA/FMC will follow up on every detected fail that is notified by the system in relation to data to close them out. This may include them contacting the Master/Owner and notifying them of the action that they may be required to take. More serious fails may result in infringement action being pursued by the SFPA/FMC. In recent weeks Masters, Owners and Buyers may have noticed this increase in communication.

Cross checks

  • Vessel FAR position V Vessel VMS position (active gear)
  • Vessel FAR position V Vessel VMS position (passive gear)
  • LAN (Landing Declaration) port V PNO (Prior Notification of Arrival) port
  • LAN (Landing Declaration) species V Logbook species
  • LAN (Landing Declaration) quantity V Logbook quantity
  • LAN species V sales notes species
  • Sales notes quantity V LAN quantity
  • RTP (time declared) V PNO (time declared) (If RTP time is earlier than the PNO time)
  • LAN (Landing Declaration) port V RTP (Return to Port)
  • Authorisation Crosscheck for all Pelagic Fisheries (Minus exceptional areas)
  • Authorisation Crosscheck for statistical rectangles (33E2, 33E3, 33E4 & 33E5) for the Celtic sea herring fishery and Irish sea herring fishery
  • Authorisation Crosscheck for 6 AS (North) statistical rectangles in the North West herring fishery
  • Authorisation Crosscheck for 6 AS (South) statistical rectangles in the North West herring fishery
  • Authorisation Crosscheck for all Pelagic Fisheries (Minus exceptional areas)
    Authorisation Crosscheck for statistical rectangles (33E2, 33E3, 33E4 & 33E5) for the Celtic sea herring fishery and Irish sea herring fishery
  • Authorisation Crosscheck for 6 AS (North) statistical rectangles in the North West herring fishery
  • Authorisation Crosscheck for 6 AS (South) statistical rectangles in the North West herring fishery
  • Verify that each logbook, a landing declaration is available
  • Verify that each logbook, a sales note is available
  • Verify that the VMS position message is sent within the threshold of the DEP message that was reported to have taken place
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