8th Meeting of the Vessel Monitoring System Working Group (VMSWG08)
Meeting:
IOTC Working Group
Meeting year:
2025
Meeting session:
8
Date:
Mon, 10/02/2025 - 11:00 to 15:00
Venue country/city:
Online/Virtual (Seychelles time)
Location:
Zoom (Start time for the meeting will be 11 am Seychelles time, which, across the global span of Members ranges from 8 am in the United Kingdom to 5 pm in Camberra, Australia.)
Chairperson:
M. Stephen Ndegwa
Vice-Chairperson:
Mr Shoukot Chowdhury
Objective:
Establishment of the Working Group on VMS In order to progress consideration of options to strengthen the IOTC VMS, the Commission agreed to establish an expertise-based working group to undertake work during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 intersessional periods. 1. The VMS -WG is established as a working group of the IOTC under the Compliance Committee. The VMSWG will be chaired by Mr Stephen Ndegwa (Kenya) and coordinated by the IOTC Secretariat. 2. The VMS-WG is open to all CPCs and interested observers. CPCs participating in the working group are encouraged to ensure that participants have sufficient technical expertise. 3. The VMS-WG may also invite experts, including from other intergovernmental organisations who are working on VMS matters, to provide advice to inform the VMS-WG’s deliberations. 4. The VMS-WG will provide advice to the Standing Committee on Administration and Finance as the case requires. 5. The VMS-WG will aim to undertake its work electronically. 6. CPCs will notify the Secretariat of their representative(s) by no later than 31 July 2019.
Summary:
Responsibilities of the Working Group on VMS 1. Further consider and provide advice on the consultant’s report as required, as well as the VMS Steering Group’s report. 2. Consider and provide advice on the following issues, such as: • Preferred model for a future IOTC Commission VMS, including hosting options • Scope and application of the VMS (e.g. vessel types and size, geographic scope) • Method for ensuring real time or near real time position reporting (e.g. direct, indirect or simultaneous polling)
3. Develop possible funding models and options. 4. Consider improvements that can be made to Resolution 15/03. 5. Develop rules and procedures for the sharing, use and protection of VMS data. 6. Develop mechanism for the smooth transition of the existing to the new system, if required.
