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VMS Programme Russia VMS Programme

 

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The Russian Federation has implemented a sectoral system for monitoring of the aquatic living resources, and for surveillance and control over the activities of the fishing vessels (SSM). The SSM is a multilevel corporate information and analytical system employed by many users which ensures continuous collection, processing, analysis, storage and transmission of data concerning the status of the aquatic biological resources, their habitats, and operations of the fishing fleet. The SSM includes VMS monitoring of vessel positions.

Two regional monitoring SSM centres were established in Murmansk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. The head office of the system is in Moscow. The regional SSM centres, in conjunction with the regional information centres, collect, process and store the information on the production activities of fishing vessels and the industry’s shipowner enterprises, as well as monitor with satellites the position of vessels.

The zone of responsibility of the SSM Kamchatka Region Centre is the Pacific Ocean and the eastern Artic Sector. The regional centre in Murmansk is responsible for the Atlantic Ocean, the Azov, Black and Caspian Sea regions, and the western Artic Sector.

The Head Centre of the Sectoral Monitoring System is in charge of, and upkeeps the central database pertaining to the position, and the production work of the Russian fishing vessels in the entire World Ocean including the Caspian, Black Seas, and the Sea of Azov, and those of the foreign fishing vessels in the sea areas under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. This Centre coordinates information support for management of aquatic living resources among the federal Agency for Fisheries.

Fisheries monitored by VMS

• All Russian and foreign fishing boats that conduct fishing and resource research in the inland sea waters, territorial sea, continental shelf, and the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Russian Federation
• Russian fishing vessels in the economic zones of foreign states, conversion areas, and on the high seas globally.
• Those kinds of activities are permitted only to the vessels which are equipped with the technical means of control, and are registered in the SSM.

Number of vessels monitored by VMS

• Total: ca. 3 800
• Domestic: ca. 3 000
• Foreign: ca. 800

Purpose of monitoring

• Monitor compliance with the conditions of intergovernmental arrangements on mutual satellite position monitoring of fishing vessels made with Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroese.
• Monitor compliance with the conditions for the operations of Russian fishing vessels in the convention areas of NAFO, NEAFC and CCAMLR.
• Sharing data with the federal and regional government authorities, and with other organizations of various ministries and agencies of the national and international levels.
• Raising safety of navigation and protection of human lives at sea through knowing more accurately the geographical position of the accident, and the positions of the vessels at optimal distance to render aid.

Legal framework

• The national legislation “On Fisheries and Conservation of the Aquatic Living Resources” includes measure to combat illegal fishing, providing for federal monitoring of aquatic resources and state conservation control over fisheries.
• Resolutions 226 (September 1999) and 425 (July 2003).

Additional integrated programmes
Bilateral agreements have been concluded, and are in operation, on sharing information with the Border Guard Service, Ministry for Emergency Situations, Federal Customs Control Service, Federal Service for Control over Drug trafficking of the Russian Federation, and the Russian Navy (Ministry of Defense). Agreements with the Ministry of National Resources and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia are being developed at present.