Towards modern, integrated, and effective fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems

Expected Outcome:

In line with the common fisheries policy and in particular the Data Collection Framework (DCF)^[1], the revised Control Regulation^[2], the farm to fork strategy goals, the food 2030 R&I policy framework, the EU biodiversity strategy and in particular its target 15, the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the EU action plan on protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries, successful proposals will contribute to the impact of this Destination on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• improve data collection (including position and catch data) for small scale fisheries (SSF)^[3], recreational fisheries^[4] and long-distance fisheries, i.e. EU fleets operating beyond EU waters^[5], while reducing the costs of data collection and analysis;
• improve efficiency, save costs, and advance fisheries monitoring, surveillance, control and enforcement technologies to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) practices in SSF, recreational fisheries and long-distance fisheries;
• provide effective and, where possible, real-time tools for monitoring fishing operations, including for the implementation of technical measures, for mitigation requirements for target and bycatch species, as well as for sensitive species and for comparing and matching logbook and/or landing declaration data with data collected and reported by observers on board;
• increase and enhance data collection resolution while exploring the potential of interconnecting vessel tracking and e-logbooks to improve interoperability and expand their usage in SSF and long-distance fisheries;
• contribute to the standardisation on how data are collected and the harmonisation of implementing procedures and quality control for collecting and processing data with a view to using these data in fisheries management and improving the reliability of scientific advice;
• improve the mechanisms for sharing fisheries dependent data among fisheries management authorities and institutions formally charged with provision of scientific advice;
• improve the digital readiness of SSF, recreational fisheries and long distance fisheries by identifying solutions such as business models that encourage and enhance fishers’ adoption of digital technology as well as data sharing, through distribution of incentives and risks among stakeholders (i.e. fishers, policy makers, scientists).

The funded projects should contribute to the achievements of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals and global biodiversity framework COP-15 goals and targets for marine ecosystems and fishing areas.

Scope:

The implementation of the revised Fisheries Control Regulation (EU Regulation 2023/2842) and relevant implementing and delegating acts require tools to identify patterns, anomalies, trends and detect inconsistencies in electronic reporting (validation and cross-checking of data) at high spatial and temporal resolution, supporting more effective fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance. Moreover, it requires secure, tamper-resistant, accurate and innovative vessel tracking systems tailored for the specificities of different types of fisheries such as, small-scale fisheries. These systems need to ensure reliable monitoring, be cost-effective and easily deployed and maintained. In addition, monitoring and controlling the catch reporting by millions of recreational fishers in European waters and estimating the ecological impact of recreational fisheries requires new and effective strategies and tools.

The new European fisheries control system also calls for innovative remote sensing technology and satellite imaging systems equipped with automatic detection abilities. These tools are needed to monitor and control fishing operations, complement and cross check data from fisheries observers, and verify compliance with regulations. Such tools will also help to identify and combat IUU fishing activities (e.g., detecting illegal transhipments, illegal discards, unauthorised gear use, and unlicensed fishing) in EU waters and beyond and improve the European maritime situational awareness.

Funded projects should firstly focus on extending data collection to encompass SSF, recreational fisheries and long-distance fisheries, enhancing MCS capabilities. Secondly, funded projects should develop, and test user-friendly technologies tailored for these sectors, while striving to reduce associated costs. Thirdly, funded projects should devise innovative MCS methods to improve efficiency alongside advancements in remote monitoring and surveillance technologies to support the effective implementation of relevant fisheries regulations and combat IUU fishing practices in these sectors. Fourthly, funded projects should emphasise the development of technology for automatic real-time data collection, including the vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and other vessel tracking technologies, and explore opportunities for interconnecting vessel tracking position, electronic monitoring systems and e-logbooks to enhance data resolution and expand their usage in SSF and long-distance fisheries. Finally, funded projects should focus on applications of artificial intelligence technologies for mining information and data deriving from various monitoring technologies in a timely and cost-efficient manner, for the purpose of supporting effective data collection and cross verification, as well as, monitoring of compliance with applicable fisheries rules and regulations.

Funded projects should also include solutions to directly gather data from fishing activities, including data required under the DCF and for the meaningful application of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries management, such as data on biological, environmental, economic, social aspects of the fisheries and basic information on the fishers, vessels, and gear.

Successful proposals are expected to contribute to increase the number of datasets in fisheries dependent data, also including non-commercial species and discards, while ensuring data collection standardisation as well as harmonisation of process and methods on how data are handled to support small scale fisheries data collection.

Successful proposals are expected to take an integrated approach, encompassing the development of new fisheries monitoring and data collection and analysis for SSF, recreational fisheries and long-distance fisheries. Funded projects should showcase the expected outcomes through four case studies covering the following:

• EU SSF in European Seas (Mediterranean Sea or Baltic Sea or Black Sea or North East Atlantic);
• EU SSF in EU Outermost Regions^[6];
• recreational fisheries in EU waters;
• EU long-distance fisheries in the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean.

Additional case studies can be included.

Proposals should include, in all stages (from conceptual development until the implementation of the outcomes) the involvement of fishers, other relevant actors, including citizens, and end users.

Proposals are encouraged to cooperate with actors such as the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). The possible participation of the JRC in the project would consist in providing and/or analysing fisheries data.

Proposals should consider the 2024 recommendations provided by the Strategic Working group on Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (SCAR-Fish^[7]). Proposals are expected to allocate specific tasks and resources to link with relevant Horizon Europe projects, such as Fish-X, EveryFish, and OptiFish, and projects on the Digital Twin Ocean such as SURIMI and SEADITO as well as projects focusing on observing and mapping biodiversity coastal and marine ecosystems, such as OBAMA-NEXT, MARCO-BOLO and DiverSea and other biodiversity projects such as B-USEFUL.

Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable). When possible, data should become available through the European Marine Observation and Data network, ensuring their further availability for the development of fisheries management related applications through the EU Digital Twin Ocean core infrastructure (EDITO). Proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant data spaces.

[1] Regulation EU 2017/1004, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/1004/oj.

[2] Regulation EU 2023/2842, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2842/oj.

[3] Vessels of less than 12 metres in length overall, according to the Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

[4] Non-commercial fishing activities exploiting marine biological resources for recreation, tourism or sport, according to the Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

[5] E.g., in international waters, including in particular those under the purview of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations and in waters subject to the sovereignty or jurisdiction of third countries, including in particular in the context of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements.

[6] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/themes/outermost-regions_en

[7] https://scar-europe.org/fish-documents