Wales to require VMS installation on all commercial fishing boats

Wales has become the first nation in the UK to require all of its licensed commercial fishing boats to be fitted with vessel monitoring systems (VMS).

Boats 12 metres or more in length were already required to have such a system in place. However, an order that came into force on Tuesday, February 15, means those under this size must have a VMS device.

The under 12m fishing fleet includes more than 350 vessels and makes up 97 per cent of Welsh-registered fishing boats.

The VMS will transmit the geographical position, date, time, speed, and course of a boat, at least once every 10 minutes, while fishing operations are being undertaken.

A consultation began in 2019 on the requirement for the under 12m fleet and to support the fishing industry.
VMS have been offered for free to the relevant Welsh fishing fleet. However, due to European Maritime and Fisheries Fund rules, fishers will have to purchase the devices themselves from February 15 onwards.

Free device installation began in December 2020 although no monitoring of fishing activity of the under 12m fishing fleet has been undertaken before the legislation came into force on Tuesday.