The decision to launch an international tender for the project “Expansion / Upgrade of the Integrated Monitoring and Recording System for Fishing Activities” has been published. The principal of the project is the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, while the tender is launched by the Information Society SA, which will be the contracting authority. The project has a total budget of €10.430.247,60 and is funded by the Operational Programme “Sea and Fisheries 2014-2020”, under the NSRF, by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and by National Funds. The estimated implementation time is 34 months.
The objective of the project is to upgrade and extend the existing Integrated Monitoring and Recording System for Fishing Activities (IMRSFA), as it is now obsolete, since it was designed in 2011-2012 and started operating in 2014. The IMRSFA is the main tool for recording fishing activity data, together with the Vessel Monitoring Centre (VMC) and generally covers the requirements of the European Regulation on control of the Common Fisheries Policy [Regulation (EC) 1224/2009 “establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy”], but specific interventions are now required, resulting from the Action Plan “FINAL AUDIT REPORT EL-2017-D4-02-A”, from amendments to the legislative framework of the European Regulation, as well as from other
Some of the most important interventions that will be achieved through the implementation of the project are:
_ Adaptation of the IMRSFA to the requirements of the Fishing Authorization Regulation (FAR), as well as to agreements with third countries
_ Development of a subsystem for monitoring recreational fishing and the National Register of Infringements, with a point system
_ Design and development of a subsystem for data verification and validation with enhanced interoperability and related capabilities
_ Extension/upgrade of the system for direct exchange of information with the European Union and other Member States (FLUX);
_ Implementation of a Disaster Recovery System that meets the specifications of the Data Rescue Plan as well as other proposed solutions concerning data security and protection; _ Implementation of a Disaster Recovery System that meets the specifications of the Data Rescue Plan as well as other proposed solutions concerning data security and protection;
_ Development of a personalised user information subsystem
_ Upgrading of the inspection and certification subsystem
_ Development of a secure subsystem for data exchange with third parties (ELSTAT, JRC, EHRC implementing bodies)
_ Upgrading of the National Fishing Register Information System (NFRIS) with the addition of new fields, interoperability possibilities, uploading of photos and vessel related pdf files (certificates etc.);
The aim of the project is to achieve a common fisheries policy with the other Member States. The interventions foreseen in the reference institutional framework aim at implementing an integrated system of control, inspection and enforcement to ensure compliance with all the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy and to enable the sustainable exploitation of living aquatic resources by covering all aspects of the policy.
It is worth noting that users of the IMRSFA system at the moment are the skippers and owners of about 15,000 commercial fishing vessels, almost 500 commercial enterprises, as well as 7,200 users of the Coast Guard and employees of the relevant fisheries services.
