What do fish and fishing have to do with computers, internet and communications?

Well, on the outset, nothing... however, information technology is playing a significant role in the modernisation and growth of the fishing industry.

This traditional industry is facing economic and environmental pressures, as well as ever changing regulations. Such pressures have led the fishing industry to invest in information technology to maintain sustainability and streamline its operations and be more effective and efficient. ICT is providing this industry with new ways to effectively monitor and control fishing fleets and also with software to ease catch management. Technology has also found its way to the fish markets and supply chains. Another important factor in which ICT is helping in is in the collating of necessary information required to regulate, report and plan.

In Malta, the Fisheries Department has already embraced the use of ICT. Currently the department has various systems to monitor, control and report fishing activities, including a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) which tracks vessel movements and provides information on the vessels’ location, speed and course. From the experiences gained through the use of the existing information systems and through the advances made in technology, the fisheries department has recently embarked on a project for the implementation of a holistic, integrated, real time information system. The system shall provide real-time information of catches, landings, fishing vessels whereabouts, management information, administration tools as well as a myriad of reporting functionalities which can be used for research, reporting and monitoring.

This project, which is co-financed by the European Union, started with an overall scope study of the fisheries processes and the ICT requirements for this industry. A call for tenders was issued in July 2010 and awarded in December 2010. It is scheduled that the main components of this holistic information system will be in place by December 2011. The benefits perceived from this project are:

• Improved management, monitoring, control and auditing;

• Improved policy making and planning through the available

• Administrative efficiency gains through automated processes, information sharing and collaboration;

• Improved services to fishermen both administratively as well as operationally.

This project shall help the Fisheries Department to become more efficient, organised and client (fishermen) oriented. It will also provide the opportunity to further develop this industry and be able to respond faster to the ever changing regulations and demands.