Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS)
A vessel monitoring system (VMS) is an electronic system which tracks and monitors commercial fishing vessel movement. VMS is monitored by the Department’s Fisheries Officers and Marine Police for fisheries compliance purposes.
VMS is required to be fitted to Tasmanian rock lobster, giant crab, scallop and abalone mother boat vessels.
How does VMS work?
Vessels which are required to have VMS are fitted with an approved automatic location communicator (ALC). The ALC continuously transmits the vessel’s position, course and speed to authorised fisheries officers using secure tracking software.
It’s important to note that VMS is not designed to be a safety system and is not monitored for this purpose by NRE Tas or any maritime safety agency.