Vessel monitoring system

Vessel Monitoring Systems is a general term to describe systems that are used in commercial fishing to allow environmental and fisheries regulatory organizations to track and monitor the activities of fishing vessels. They are a key part of monitoring control and surveillance programs at national and international levels. VMS may be used to monitor vessels in the territorial waters of a country or a subdivision of a country, or in the Exclusive Economic Zones that extend from the coasts of many countries. VMS systems are used to improve the management and sustainability of the marine environment, through ensuring proper fishing practices and the prevention of illegal fishing, and thus protect and enhance the livelihoods of fishermen.
The exact functionality of a VMS system and the associated equipment varies with the requirements of the nation of the vessel's registry, and the regional or national water in which the vessel is operating. Within regional and national VMS initiatives there are also sub-divisions which apply different functionality to different vessel categories. Categories may be size or type of vessel or activity. For example:

Local/regional fish such as scallops in the Northeast U.S., anchovies in Peruvian waters, or rock shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico
Highly migratory species such as tuna and billfish, or Patagonian toothfish in the Antarctic. which can be caught in multiple regions

In this discussion, VMS relates specifically to fisheries management systems. VMS describes the specific application of monitoring commercial fishing boats. It is not to be confused with vessel traffic service which is describes the specific application of monitoring marine traffic primarily for safety and efficiency in ports and busy waterways. It is also not to be confused with specific communication technologies such as AIS, Iridium, Inmarsat, Argos, GPRS which relate to the communication method on which data is transmitted. Different VMS systems will use different communication technologies depending on the functionality requirements imposed by a national or regional VMS initiative.
The cost of VMS components will vary according to the functionality requirements of the specific system being implemented. In general the higher the functionality the more expensive the equipment and required data link. The cost of a VMS system therefore varies and thus the level of government subsidy varies according to national and regional requirements. EU and US VMS systems require expensive onboard equipment and large amounts of data to be transmitted over satellite link resulting in high airtime charges, but also provide a very high level of functionality. In other regions where per vessel cost and huge fleet sizes are an issue, communication technologies such as AIS are used which significantly reduce equipment and airtime costs whilst delivering acceptable basic VMS system functionality.

Applications

VMS is intended principally for fisheries management, but the country using it may use the data for other purposes. See the broad framework of Monitoring control and surveillance.

Fisheries management

Among all the most basic purposes is to monitor the movement of VMS-equipped vessels with respect to restricted fishing areas. A given vessel may have approval to fish in a restricted area, to transit through it without fishing, or it may not be allowed in the area.

Catch reporting

Not all VMS systems are required to record and transmit catch reports. On the systems with separate PCs, it is reasonably easy to distribute separate software, although the fishermen may or may not be able to install it without assistance and additional equipment. For VMS with dedicated PCs, additional software can be made part of software support with established channels.
In the EU and US there is a distinct trend to making catch reporting part of an overall MCS program, although current VMS systems rarely integrate this capability with position reporting. One system that does do this is Fulcrum Maritime Systems Limited's Vessel Tracking Service which uses the latest data rich satellite application technology to enable electronic catch reports to be sent from the vessel to the VMS directly and automatically sends the report and vessel position data to the appropriate RFO or Regulatory Fishing Body, such as the NEAFC.
Under the European Union scheme, vessels are generally required to report

Catch on entry
Weekly catch
Transshipment
Port of landing
Catch on exit

Within the EU an Electronic Reporting System is being implemented as part of the EU VMS system to automate collection of catch data, and exchange of data between EU states. A number of programs require tracking of days at sea for a given vessel. They may require tracking the total cumulative catch of a given fishery.
See Fisheries Monitoring Centre from Fulcrum Maritime Systems Limited: www.fulcrum-maritime.com

Fisheries research and analysis

VMS is a planning and analysis tool as well as an aid to operations. Treated as a research database, the cumulative position reports gives an analysis of fishing vessel tracks in search of fish. Coupled with species-specific fishing licenses and catch reports, fisheries managers can estimate the amount of a given fish in an area, the amount taken by fishing vessels, and project overfishing before it happens.

Safety

VMS itself can help in search and rescue, especially when the SAR organization participates in the Global Maritime Distress Safety System. Some VMS have built-in Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons, or SART capability although a dedicated VMS unit may not be able to have an emergency beacon that automatically floats to the surface and starts transmitting when it detects it is in salt water. At the very least, the SAR agency can get a last reported location of the vessel, and perhaps its course, from the FMC.

Enforcement

VMS obviously is part of fisheries enforcement, but, along with other systems, it can be part of overall sea surveillance. When a radar or other sensor detects a given vessel, VMS can tell the center that monitors the radar whether the radar target is a known fishing vessel.
There may be correlation between AIS/VTS and VMS.

Technologies and components

Any vessel tracking system, including VMS, requires technology on the vessel, ashore, and communications between them. In addition, there may be additional communications from the Fisheries Management Center of the vessel's country of registry, and regional or national FMCs of the waters in which the vessel is fishing.

Functions aboard the vessel

The most basic function of a VMS is to determine the vessel's location at a given time, and periodically transmit this information, to a monitoring station ashore. Different VMS systems use different communication technologies, including AIS, Inmarsat, Iridium and Argos depending on the functionality required by the particular VMS system.
VMS components on the vessel sometimes are called VMS, or sometimes Automatic Location Communicators. These minimally include a GPS antenna and receiver, a computer, and a transmitter and antenna appropriate for the communications that links the vessel to the flag center.
In practice, many of the VMS components also have applicability, along with non-VMS marine electronics, to a wide range of functions aboard a fishing vessel. These include navigation, finding fish, collision avoidance, routine voice and email communications, etc.
Selecting a VMS system is most dependent on what vendors and models have been approved by the fishing vessel's state of registry and the functionality requirements. Normally an authority will specify specific approved equipment to ensure end to end system integrity and service level meeting the specific requirements applicable to the vessel type. For example, some systems require a user interface on the vessel, whilst others will have a simple black box transceiver with no user interface.
VMS software and devices for the fishing vessel include:

Absolute Software
AMS
Argonet-vms CLS
AST Ltd
Big Ocean Data/Globavista/Bluefinger/Thales
BlueTraker
Boatracs
CLS - VMS NEMO/TRITON
Faria
Fishery Solution VMS - Vessel Tracking, Electronic Logbook
Free Port - Eye from a sky
CLS UK - Vessel Tracking, Fleet Tracking, Fisheries Monitoring
Honeywell
Maritime Systems - Inshore Vessel Monitoring System
Monicap
Skymate
SRT Marine System Solutions
Thrane & Thrane
MetOcean Telematics iTrac VMS
GMV
Communications

VMS units principally rely on global navigation satellite systems such as GPS for position and time information. LORAN may be a backup or complementary technology. These transceivers transmit data to monitoring systems generally using a variety of communication technologies including terrestrial and satellite AIS and conventional satellite systems from Inmarsat, Iridium, Argos, Orbcomm or Qualcomm. Increasingly nations are implementing a mixture of technologies with the largest vessels over 60 tons being required to use the expensive traditional satellites and smaller vessels to use AIS.

Operated by Inmarsat plc, founded by governments but now commercial, Inmarsat has a constellation of geosynchronous communications satellites.
Iridium uses a constellation of 66 Low Earth Orbit satellites to provide complete global coverage with real-time coverage.
Automatic Identification System – AIS is an IMO supported technology – provides low cost dual terrestrial and long-range satellite maritime data communications. It offers a base level of VMS functionality with global coverage at the lowest cost.
Argos uses low Earth orbit European and US satellites in polar orbit, which is an especially appropriate orbit for vessels operating in high latitudes.
Skymate uses Orbcomm LEO satellites, which is optimized for machine-to-machine communications, potentially at lower cost than voice-capable satellite systems. They operate in the VHF and UHF bands, and have demonstrated an AIS capability.
Qualcomm provides access to the Iridium satellite systems.
BlueTraker uses both GPRS and Iridium constellation to provide the biggest flexibility and the lowest communication costs. The BlueTraker is a stand-alone device fully integrated including the antennas, the communication modules and a back-up battery. It is also e-logbook ready.
iTrac is certified by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, has integrated GPS and uses the Iridium satellite system network to provide communication as well as e-mail access.

VMS/ALC Vendor	Product type	Communications	Communications type
	Integrated Hybrid device with internal back-up battery, antennas and e-logbook capabilities	Dual mode GPRS and Iridium communications	VMS+ device Polar LEO with satellite-to-satellite
Blue Oceans Satellite Systems	GPS; duplex communication; Web-based monitoring interface	Iridium and Globalstar	Low-earth orbiting, cross-linked satellites operating as a fully meshed network and supported by multiple in-orbit spares.
Boatracs	Dedicated with phone, fax, email	Qualcomm	LEO L-band uplink
CLS	Argos	GPS with uplink	Polar LEO with satellite-to-satellite
CLS UK	Web based tracking for maritime or land-based assets, Fisheries Monitoring Centre,	Open - Inmarsat-C, Skywave, Satamatics, Iridium, Globalstar	Systems Integrator, Bespoke system design, Supplier of tracking systems and devices, Simplex or Duplex, Ring Fencing, Movement detection, Global Coverage.
Globavista	Web based tracking, Ship Security Alert System and telemetry system	Open - AIS, Inmarsat-C, Skywave, Iridium, GSM/GPRS, Hybrid devices	Integrator/Supplier of the majority of tracking devices
Maritime Systems	Compact IP67 unit with internal antennas, back up battery, tamper detection for fisheries monitoring	GSM/GPRS, 4G LTE, 2G fallback	Internal data storage with upload over GSM, remote servers forwarding data to international fisheries management
Satrax ETS-1000	Dedicated computer with telephone	Iridium	Polar LEO with satellite-to-satellite
Satrax ETS-250	Dedicated computer	Orbcomm	Polar LEO with satellite-to-satellite
Skymate	GPS and uplink antenna; PC software for VMS, weather, fish prices, surface temperature, log	Orbcomm	LEO VHF Uplink
SRT Marine System Solutions	Optimal AIS based VMS system for fishing vessels below 60 tons. High functionality combined with low cost and sophisticated display and data management systems which fuse terrestrial and satellite AIS to provide full EEZ and if required, global, coverage.	-	-
exactEarth	A operator of a global network of low orbit AIS satellites which use technology such as ABSEA to receive transmissions from Class B and Identifier type AIS VMS transceivers.	-	-
Thrane & Thrane	Dedicated computer with voice and email	Inmarsat-C	Geosynchronous satellite
Honeywell or Skywave	Low-cost, small transceivers with integrated GPS	Inmarsat-D+	Geosynchronous satellite
MetOcean Telematics	Low-cost, DFO Canada Certified, also gives users the ability to communicate via email over Iridium	Iridium	LEO Satellite Communications
EMA - BlueTraker	all-integrated Hybrid device with internal back-up battery, antennas and e-logbook capabilities	GPRS and Iridium	Polar LEO with satellite-to-satellite
Free Port - Eye from a sky	integrated black-box device with internal back-up battery, external antenna and PC software for monitoring, surveillance, communication and data gathering	GPRS/EDGE and Iridium	Polar LEO with satellite-to-satellite
Xsealence - Sea Technologies	4th generation, all-integrated device with hybrid communications, anti-tampering facility with internal back-up battery, data gathering and communication hub	Open - Inmarsat-C, Iridium, AIS, GPRS/EDGE and Wi-Fi	Polar LEO with satellite-to-satellite