Brussels, 21/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on 21 November, EU fisheries ministers reached political agreement on the proposal requiring captains of fishing vessels to replace the paper version of the logbook with an electronic one. This requirement will come into force around 2010 for vessels over 24 metres in length, and two years later for 15-24 metre vessels (for vessels under 15 metres Member States will also be able to modernise logbooks). Spain, which has 1,000 vessels over 24 metres (compared with 200 in France and 62 in Germany, according to Spanish secretary of state for fisheries Juan Carlos Martin Fragueiro) was the EU country which most loudy expressed its desire for as much time as possible to come into line with these requirements. France, on the other hand, said it wanted to change systems as quickly as possible, and all at the same time, to modern methods of information transmission. The aim of this technological development is to be rid of the paper documents which were a source of error.
Under the new regulation, which has to be completed by rules of application, the captain of the vessel must record in his logbook and send electronically information on his landings and the first sales declarations for his catch to national administrative authorities once a day. In addition, at the request of France, countries will be able to order that transport documents for cargo be sent electronically. New software could, according to estimates, cost over €1,000 per vessel, plus €3 per day to send information. The Commission will provide 50% co-financing (perhaps more on occasion) of costs incurred by vessels in installing the new software.
From 1st January 2009, Member States will have to have a remote sensing system (satellite photos) for control of vessels. This system makes it easier to detect the presence of a vessel in any particular zone, by linking in with the information available through the satellite surveillance system (VMS, an on-board beacon which gives the speed and position of the vessel in real time). This remote sensing system, which is very costly (€1,000 per image), will only be put in place if necessary and if its use becomes financially viable. The Commission feels, however, that this system will develop thanks to the reduction in the cost of these images and thanks to exchanges between Member States, particularly through the fisheries control agency (in Vigo, Spain). It says that the system has already been tested successfully to the south of Iceland picking out vessels fishing illegally, and that France has already used the system to cover the Indian Ocean zone. The Commission points out that currently 11,000 EU vessels are equipped with VMS. (lc)