Challenges in Monitoring, Control and Surveillance
By Loretta B Manele
A number of challenges in Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) in Solomon Islands have been highlighted at the Honiara Summit on Sustainable Development Goal SDG 14.4 which focuses on managing sustainable fisheries.
Edward Honiwala, Director of Fisheries from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) spoke about these challenges at the summit yesterday.
He expressed that MCS is the backbone of fisheries management as it ensures compliance with fisheries management frameworks, resulting in the sustainability of our fisheries resources.
Honiwala however pointed out that MCS work in the region has also gone through a lot of challenges.
In Solomon Islands, he said major challenges include; geographical spread of islands, difficulty in ensuring effective monitoring, challenging enforcement and costly patrols.
Honiwala also outlined a number of initiatives that can be carried out to address these challenges.
These initiatives are as follows; allocating more resources to ensure all fishers comply with fisheries regulations and management measures, that all fleets and fishing gears reach a 100 percent human observer coverage, e-monitoring and capacity building in all aspects and areas of MCS.
“Capacity building in all aspects and areas of MCS is essential. Well trained and experience officers, in all MCS areas, from data collection and analyst to the enforcement and prosecutions.
These officers must be well resourced and well equipped to execute their work effectively.
Effective MCS requires significant investment, in assets like patrol boats, aircrafts, satellite monitoring equipment and well-trained personnel.”
Honiwala emphasized that effective MCS will always be a financial burden for countries and just like any other Pacific Island country, Solomon Islands lacks the financial resources to adequately fund all these assets and equipment to support MCS work in our EEZs.
In this regard, he said Pacific Island countries are fortunate have good partners like Australia, France, New Zealand and others to support regional surveillance through FFA.
While there are challenges present in MCS operation, there is also innovation and technology in MCS.
Honiwala said with the innovations and technology, some of the MSC challenges can be minimised.
“Fishing vessels fishing within our EEZ can be monitored from our fisheries headquarters. This is through the vessel monitoring systems (VMS) or other electronic means.
For the PNA Countries, the vessel days scheme (VDS) is monitored through FIMs, (Fisheries Information Management Systems) which member countries now use as a tool to calculate fishing days within their EEZs.
Other MCS monitoring tools, includes Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), and E-reporting and monitoring tools. These tools now used by MCS Officers and part of their daily routine work.”
Honiwala said for Solomon Islands, the development of an electronic port system for our ports, is a success story and can be replicated across the region.
He explained that supply system supports catch verification and traceability and ensures IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) caught fish do not enter the chain.
“This is our digital fish accountancy system.”
He said this development is home grown led by the fisheries ministry with support from FFA.
“It is an achievement to see our e-port system can work hand-in-hand with FFA’s electronic ports state measures (e-PSM) system. This has effectively enhanced our ports entry and exist operations.”
For feedback, contact: [email protected]
