Fishing Vessel Monitoring Systems: Past, Present and Future

VMS: Past, Present and Future 32
Whilst the across the board approach would undoubtedly result in vessels of a
certain length or weight carrying similar equipment sending positions at identical
intervals, a more focused approach might result in a system that is both more
cost-effective and efficient.
5.1.2 Implementation analysis
A more analytical approach, for example, might lead to vessels that operate only
in coastal waters using VHF radio or cellular telephony as a transmission
medium, thus reducing costs for both equipment and communications, compared
to the satellite terminals that are currently used almost universally.
Once the fisheries have been targeted and analyzed, and the most cost-effective
means of gathering the data decided upon, sufficient technical integrity would
require that the planned implementation be vetted for problems that could
compromise the reliable gathering of the data. These problems could either be
of a technical nature, or weaknesses in system security that could permit
intentional malfunctions of the equipment or tampering with the data to be
transmitted.
5.1.3 Technical angles
Technical considerations are generally centred upon two areas: power supply
and the placement of the antenna. The first criterion is to determine if the power
supply available on the vessels to be tracked is sufficiently robust to assure a
rate of service acceptable to the tracking authority. If this is not the case, as
arises often with vessels that are very small or which rely upon older equipment,
it could well be necessary to specify an auxiliary power supply to assure
continuous service. Such a choice presents no technical difficulty, but it does
imply supplementary costs.
The placement of the antenna can simply require judicious selection of a site for
installation so that the superstructure of the vessel does not block the line of sight
with the satellite. Should such a location be unavailable, it may be necessary to
require that the antenna be mounted, for example, on a dedicated mast. Once
again, there will be supplementary cost implications.
5.2 Planning security
A look at requirements developed in different world fisheries show that there are
other installation concerns, but that most of them are more closely related to
security aspects than to technical integrity per se. The South Pacific Forum
Fisheries Agency (FFA), for example, developed an installation specification that
required, for example, that the cable between the antenna and the satellite
communications terminal pass through the superstructure of the vessel.