Status of Electronic Collection and Reporting of Key Information in Major Fisheries

The report assesses the adoption of electronic vessel tracking (ET), electronic monitoring (EM), electronic reporting (ER), and electronic traceability (ETr) across various countries and RFMOs. It finds that while vessel tracking has grown rapidly, fully integrated EFIS are rare due to proprietary systems, high upfront costs, and a lack of global standards. The authors recommend promoting 'Electronic Fishery and Seafood Information Systems' (EFSIS) to drive interoperability across the entire value chain.

• Fully integrated Electronic Fisheries Information Systems (EFIS) are rare globally because components like electronic monitoring, reporting, and traceability have developed more slowly than electronic vessel tracking.
• The proliferation of proprietary systems hinders the creation of global interoperability and the establishment of common protocols, specifications, and guidelines.
• The adoption of EFIS is slowed by high upfront and fixed costs, with benefits often accruing slowly over time, creating a challenging value proposition for industry participants.
• Seafood supply chain complexity and a culture of secrecy in a competitive market obstruct the design of a data architecture capable of supporting global interoperable EFIS.
• The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) have successfully implemented the Integrated Fisheries Information Management System (iFIMS), which integrates ET, observer monitoring, and ER for purse seine fisheries.
• New Zealand is implementing the Digital Monitoring Project, a cloud-based interoperable architecture using APIs to allow multiple technology providers to compete in supplying electronic services.
• Blockchain technology is being trialed in fisheries, such as in Fiji and Indonesia, to improve transparency and authenticity, though it remains dependent on the quality of the underlying EFIS data.
• The European Union's Catch Certificate Scheme and the United States' Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) are primary global drivers forcing exporting nations to adopt more rigorous data collection and traceability.
• Developing countries face more severe barriers to EFIS implementation, including rudimentary communication systems, weak governance, and a lack of human capacity to manage data.
• The report recommends transitioning from the concept of EFIS to 'Electronic Fishery and Seafood Information Systems' (EFSIS) to better integrate fishery management with broader seafood supply chain traceability.

APA

Sylvia, G., Harte, M., & Borberg, J. (2019). Status of Electronic Collection and Reporting of Key Information in Major Fisheries. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/823/3dju02p06k_WWF_EFIS_Final_Report_2019.pdf

Chicago

Sylvia, Gil, Michael Harte, and Jenna Borberg. Status of Electronic Collection and Reporting of Key Information in Major Fisheries. WWF International, 2019. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/823/3dju02p06k_WWF_EFIS_Final_Report_2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sylvia |first1=Gil |last2=Harte |first2=Michael |last3=Borberg |first3=Jenna |title=Status of Electronic Collection and Reporting of Key Information in Major Fisheries |publisher=WWF International |date=2019 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/823/3dju02p06k_WWF_EFIS_Final_Report_2019.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sylvia2019status, author = {Sylvia, Gil and Harte, Michael and Borberg, Jenna}, title = {{Status of Electronic Collection and Reporting of Key Information in Major Fisheries}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2019}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/823/3dju02p06k_WWF_EFIS_Final_Report_2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }