Vessel monitoring system (VMS) data for 12 metres vessels and larger from 2017 - 2022: EIR release

Information requested

You initially asked: “Please can you advise me on how to source ping data for Scottish waters? The MMO have kindly provided me with English data. Requirements wise, it would probably be for several years too. I know there’s nothing worse than someone asking for everything but the ping data, with attribution of year and an annonomised vessel code so that I generate some line data, would be essential for both projects.”

We contacted you on 5th February 2024 to ask for some further clarification of the type of data you were interested in. We asked: “Unfortunately it is not clear from your email exactly what 'ping' (VMS) data you are requesting. Please could provide the date range and other positional data attributes you are interested in so that we can best respond to your request?”

You responded to provide further clarification on the same date: “With regard to the information required, pings are sort for 12 metres vessels and larger. Ideally, I’d get the last 5 years of pings, 2018 – 2023. It can be 2017 – 2022 if there’s an embargo on recent data. Format wise: anonymised vessel code, size class, date, time, lat, long, fishing method, andspeed would be great. Any type of csv/txt is great. The MMO asked if I wanted all vessels or just UK vessels; I asked for the former.”

Response

Response to your request

1) I am providing most of the information you requested, namely the data for 2017-2022, in csv format.

As we do not hold fishing method data in the same database as the VMS data we have run a query to match the VMS data held in one system with the electronic logbook data (which holds the fishing method information) held in another system. Please also note that in the dataset provided to you, there are some vessels without a gear type associated to them. There are a number of reasons why this could be, for example, the vessels weren’t engaging in fishing activity at the time they were reporting VMS positions e.g. they were undertaking guardship duty etc, however we have included them in the data provided to you to give you the choice to filter them out if they are not useful for your research.

2) While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing part of your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The reasons why that exception applies are explained below.

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested with regards to data for 2023 as we have not been able to compile the information for 2023 from readily-available resources held by us at this time.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information with regards to the data for 2023 also, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

Due to the size of the files we are unable to upload the documents referred to above. If you wish to consider, please contact us at the address below and we will be happy to provide.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.