A total of 230 offshore fishing vessels operating in coastal Arakan State are equipped with vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and are being tracked by government officials via monitoring centres, according to the state’s Department of Fisheries.

U Thet Oo, director of the Arakan State Fisheries Department, said VMS has been installed on the offshore fishing vessels to monitor their movement, speed, length and location.

“The vessel monitoring system is installed on fishing vessels to prevent offshore vessels from entering the coast and fishing in other [non-offshore] waters. Controlling these poaching vessels will also help protect the marine environment,” he told DMG.

U Thet Oo said action was being taken against vessels that did not comply with the rules and regulations, and 13 offshore fishing vessels that failed to abide by the law faced prosecution last year.

“If the VMS is removed and the go-to place is not accessible, the fishing boat owner will be fined K3 million for the first time and the fishing licence will be revoked for three months. Secondly, action will be taken against the fishing boat owners, up to confiscating the fishing boat as public property,” the fishery official explained.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the owners of non-compliant fishing boats will be fined just K2 million and their fishing licences will be revoked for two months in consideration of widespread livelihood hardships, according to the Arakan State Fisheries Department.

VMS prices vary depending on the type, ranging from K1 million to K1.5 million, with an annual fee of around K300,000 to K500,000, according to the Department of Fisheries.

Currently, there are more than 3,000 offshore fishing and carrier vessels equipped with VMS in Myanmar, according to the Department of Fisheries.