Assist AB has a long experience of managing the information connected to the logbooks of the fishing vessels. Please contact us if you want some help in developing systems for logbooks or for to be able to receive electronic logbooks.

Background

Vessels larger than 10 meters have to fill in a logbook within EU. The logbook they shall use is the European Union logbook described in the regulation 2807/83. On the logbook template, which by the way has not been altered since the regulation was decided in 1983, the fishermen shall register a large number of items. Not all of them defined in the template. These items are among other things catch of fish and departure from and arrival to ports. Sometimes even entry and exit into areas, placement of gears, transport between areas at sea, transhipments and common fishery operations.

A project for managing this information electronically, that is to send it directly from the vessel to the database of the member country, is under development. This project The sheel project has produced recommendations, that are currently undergoing tests in several countries.

The areas managed in the electronic logbook are:

1. Departure from port

2. Arrival to port

3. Entry into an area

4. Exit from an area

5. Effort

6. Transhipment at sea

7. Common fishing operations

8. Treatment of fish aboard

9. cumulative catches

10. Landing

11. Navigation/Search

Reflections

Most of these items are probably already today registered in different tables. For a registration of electronically received data we also must have the same quality level as we have for the manually registered information. Import routines and error handling activities must be developed for these new sources.

It is important to be able to integrate new ways of receiving information, for example electronic logbook, with existing information in the systems. For a number of years these different ways of delivering logbook information has to work side by side with each other. But even when the current paper logbook later maybe will be abandoned we must make historical comparisons with existing data.

Experience in this area

We have for example:

• Developed a logbook system for Sweden

• Developed system for managing electronic NEAFC-reports in Sweden.

• Implemented a system for telephone reporting of entry and exit reports etc. in Sweden.

• Developed a system for scanning of logbooks in Sweden.

• Developed a logbook system for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

• Developed a new logbook system for Latvia prior to their membership in EU.

During 2005-2007 we are working with:

• Structuring of a new logbook and a new logbook system in Turkey.

• Development of a new logbook and the structure for a new logbook system in Indonesia.