Countries in and around the Indian Ocean will try to initiate more regional cooperation between their fishing authorities, according to a draft report from a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) workshop.

The report, detailing several areas of cooperation on the sharing of information from vessel monitoring systems (VMS), came on the heels of the four-day workshop, which brought together various fishing bodies – including the Seychelles Fishing Authority – from countries in the South West Indian Ocean.

The workshop, held at the International Conference Centre last week, facilitated discussions and presentations on VMS, which uses satellite technology to locate and track fishing vessels.

Jude Talma, the SFA’s assistant manager for monitoring, control and surveillance, said that better cooperation between countries would increase the level of enforcement against illegal fishing.

If a vessel was believed to have conducted illegal or unreported fishing in a country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), local authorities could not apprehend the vessel were it to flee to an EEZ of a country that was unable to help, he said.

In addition, the workshop allowed the SFA to hear suggestions from an FAO legal officer regarding the enforcement of fishing regulations in its own courts.

Since VMS is relatively new – Great Britain first installed their VMS in 2000 – many countries, including Seychelles and the United States, have battled with incorporating VMS as a measure of enforcement, Mr Talma said.

Currently, the legal framework in Seychelles does not always cater to VMS as a reliable source for the prosecution of illegal fishing, especially since VMS requirements are dictated by the SFA for fishermen to get a licence, rather than being enforced by actual law.

Developing countries who are in the process of implementing VMS, such as Tanzania, will also benefit from the workshop, as they were given suggestions on what types of VMS were suitable for their particular situation, and how to get their projects off the ground.

More comprehensive VMS coverage from all countries in the region, said Mr Talma, would only help the cause for more effective surveillance of fishing vessels.

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