The second stage of the Electronic and Vessel Monitoring Assistance Program is now open
Apply for rebateVMS requirements
Before you start fishing commercially it is essential to familiarise yourself with the legislation for the relevant fishery you will be operating in, as well as the VMS requirements for that fishery, to avoid any unnecessary incidents or penalties.
A VMS is not a safety device. Ensure you have all the correct safety measures in place as per federal and state requirements.
The use of VMS in the majority of Western Australia’s commercial fisheries allows the department to carry out real-time monitoring of commercial fishing fleets. This helps to ensure fishers are complying with management arrangements i.e. operating within their designated fishing areas and/or within their entitlement allocations.
Vessels operating within a VMS managed fishery are fitted with a device known as an automatic location communicator (ALC). The ALC is used to monitor the activity of vessels by transmitting reports containing information such as the geographical location, course and speed of the vessel. ALCs can also be used to facilitate two-way communication between the vessel operator and the department. The correct process for installing and using an ALC must be followed.
Useful links
How it works
The department’s VMS is comprised of specialised software designed to receive, analyse, and display position reports and messaging. This information is transmitted via ALC and accessed by specialist vessel monitoring officers at our operations centre. The diagram shows how the VMS system works.
Data from the VMS is used for any of the following:
- compliance monitoring of fishing zones
- compliance monitoring of spatial, temporal or seasonal closures
- compliance monitoring of entitlement allocations
- incident detection
- intelligence and evidence provision for investigations
- fisheries research and management
- providing assistance to Maritime Safety and Sea Search and Rescue organisations.
Assistance program
The second stage of the Electronic and Vessel Monitoring Assistance Program is now open. Please submit this form to apply for the rebate.
The rebate available is up to $2,200 for the purchase of the new ALC and $2,000 towards installation costs. Please review all the terms and conditions in detail. You must provide evidence that you have operated in an Applicable Fishery, including receipts for the purchase and installation of your new CLS Triton Advanced unit.
If you have any queries, please email reimbursements@dpird.wa.gov.au