Scallop fishing - remote electronic monitoring: technical specifications

Remote Electronic Monitoring Scallop Technical Specifications

Technical specifications for remote electronic monitoring (“REM”) systems for relevant scallop boats specified pursuant to regulation 6(1) of the Sea Fisheries (Remote Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Scallop Fishing) (Scotland) Regulations 2024

In exercise of Scottish Ministers’ powers at regulation 6(1) of the Sea Fisheries (Remote Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Scallop Fishing) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 (SSI 2024/165) and for the purposes of Part 2 of those Regulations, the technical specifications for REM systems for relevant scallop boats are that an REM system must include:—

(1) a control box or storage box which is capable of—

(a) housing and storing software, recorded data consisting of video recordings from digital cameras and recorded data from winch sensors and a vessel positioning system device;

(b) storing the recorded data from the winch sensors and vessel positioning system device until the time at which automatic transmission is successfully completed in accordance with paragraph (7); and

(c) storing the recorded data consisting of video recordings from digital cameras until whichever is the later of—

(i) the time at which automatic transmission is successfully completed in accordance with paragraph (8); or

(ii) the end of the period of 1 year beginning with the time at which a video recording was recorded;

(2) digital cameras whose combined field of view when recording video captures fishing and related activities on board the relevant scallop boat, including all movements related to the setting and hauling of fishing gear from the relevant scallop boat—

(a) with a minimum of 1 digital camera; and

(b) where each digital camera—

(i) is capable of recording video at a minimum rate of 5 frames per second;

(ii) produces video recordings with a minimum of 2 mega pixels per frame, with a minimum horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels per frame and a minimum vertical resolution of 1080 pixels per frame;

(iii) has infra-red capability which is automatically enabled and is therefore capable of recording video in low light conditions; and

(iv) has a minimum IP Rating of IP66(^[1]);

(3) winch sensors which are—

(a) connected to the winches by which fishing gear is deployed;

(b) activated when the winches are operated; and

(c) capable of detecting the operation of the winches to which they are connected for the duration of the movement of the winches;

(4) a vessel positioning system device which automatically stores, at intervals of at least once every 10 seconds, the following information:—

(a) the relevant scallop boat’s unique identifier;

(b) the most recent geographical position of the relevant scallop boat using co-ordinates of latitude and longitude on the World Geodetic System 1984 Reference System (WGS 84)(^[2]) and with a position error of less than 10 metres;

(c) the date and time of the fixing of each geographical position of the relevant scallop boat expressed in Co-ordinated Universal Time;

(d) the speed and course of the relevant scallop boat at the time of the fixing of each geographical position; and

(e) the estimated accuracy of the fixing of each geographical position of the relevant scallop boat;

(5) a means of enabling the master to view the recorded data in real time on board the relevant scallop boat on which the system is installed;

(6) a means of allowing a British sea-fishery officer(^[3]), from a position inside the wheelhouse of the relevant scallop boat, to extract data held in the control box or storage box;

(7) a means, when the relevant scallop boat is within range of, has access to, or is connected to any means of transmission, of automatically transmitting the recorded winch sensor data and vessel positioning system device data—

(a) from the REM system to any data storage system owned, operated or hosted by or on behalf of the manufacturer of the REM system; and

(b) in a manner which ensures that the recorded data—

(i) cannot be altered in any way after the data are recorded by the REM system; and

(ii) are transmitted in a secure manner;

(8) a means of transmitting the video recordings made by the digital cameras from the REM system to any data storage system owned, operated or hosted by or on behalf of the manufacturer of the REM system—

(a) in a manner which ensures that the recorded data—

(i) cannot be altered in any way after the data are recorded by the REM system; and

(ii) are transmitted in a secure manner; and

(b) which either—

(i) occurs automatically when the relevant scallop boat is within range of, has access to, or is connected to any means of transmission; or

(ii) following the Scottish Ministers using the companion software to the REM system to remotely select recorded data stored on the REM system to be automatically transmitted, occurs automatically at the time when the relevant scallop boat is next within range of, has access to, or is connected to any means of transmission after that selection being made; and

(9) a means of enabling the Scottish Ministers at any time, without cost to the Scottish Ministers—

(a) to access the recorded data on the data storage system;

(b) to extract the recorded data from the data storage system;

(c) to review the recorded data using the companion software to the REM system; and

(d) where the REM system is of a type which transmits video recordings via the procedure set out in paragraph (8)(b)(ii), to use the companion software to the REM system to remotely select recorded data to be automatically transmitted via that procedure.

[7 June 2024]