The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is seeking comment from industry, electronic monitoring (e-monitoring) service providers and technical experts in the field on the draft E-monitoring Equipment and Maintenance Standards for AFMA's e-monitoring program.
AFMA is implementing a standards based Electronic Monitoring program that aims to provide a reliable, flexible, adaptable, interoperable, and cost-effective electronic monitoring program that is responsive to the specific data needs and management objectives of individual fisheries. E-monitoring is used to independently verify logbook data, fishing activities and monitor compliance at sea. A standards-based program will also enable AFMA to realise any advancements in artificial intelligence/machine learning and is scalable allowing to take advantage of growth in e-monitoring domestically, regionally, or globally.
One component of the standards-based e-monitoring program is the E-monitoring Equipment and Maintenance standards. These standards will articulate the capability and minimum requirements of the e-monitoring system and hardware itself plus maintenance requirements. Vendors looking to provide e-monitoring services to Commonwealth fishers will be required to meet these specifications
E-monitoring system maintenance is included in these standards to ensure industry that there is a reliable service being provided to industry operating from regional and remote ports.
Defining the EM Equipment and Maintenance standards provides greater e-monitoring vendor choice for Commonwealth fishers and supports greater flexibility.
