High Command of Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy acknowledge and appreciate state-of-the-art VMS Project by iTecknologi
Wednesday, 21st April 2021, Commanding Officer 440 Brigade Gawadar of Pakistan Army and Commanding Officer 3rd FP Battalion Gawadar of Pakistan Navy visited Fisheries Monitoring Centre in Surbandar established by iTecknologi as part of the Larger Vessel Management System Project for Fishermen community.
Upon the visit, the personnel from Armed Forces were briefed about the system at great length and a live demonstration of the system was also provided. The Commanding Officers appreciated and applauded the efforts of iTecknologi and the Government. According to the Personnel of Armed Forces, the VMS system designed and implemented by iTecknologi will not only provide precious data of boats’ movement within the sea for the protection of the borders of our motherland, but also, the VMS will make Pakistan compliant to international regulations while saving the lives of poor fishermen community.
The benefits of the VMS are far reaching, including but not limited to,
- Pakistan has become compliant to United Nations General Assembly, “Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks” (1995), Article 18.3(e).
- Pakistan has become compliant with the provision of the provincial regulations which stipulate that non-installation of VMS is punishable under the Exclusive Fishery Zone (Regulation of Fishing) Act, 1975 (XXXII of 1975) and Exclusive Fishery Zone (Regulation of Fishing) Rules, 1990 notified vide No. S.R.O. DD-60(I)/90 dated 04-02-1991.
- Compliance of Clause 7 (k) of Deep-sea Fishing Policy 2009 states that it is a mandatory requirement for the licensed tuna long liner to have satellite-based VMS on board.
- Implementation of regulations promulgated by Government of Balochistan vide Notification No.SO (Coord) Fish/2-1/2013/3148-58 dated 08-09-2016 and Clause 2(b, c, d, e, f, g, and h), which made it mandatory that all fishing vessels larger than 15 meters (in length overall) licensed under Balochistan Sea Fisheries Ordinance, 1971.
- Availability of VMS Search and Rescue (SAR) service for poor fishermen, especially when the SAR organization participates in the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS).
- A proper surveillance solution is now available to the Government in case Pakistan is maligned by hostile enemies as happened in November 2008 Mumbai attacks in which it was alleged that terrorists have used Pakistani origin Boats to travel to Indian shores.
- Pakistan will now avert its continuous absence and lack of progress from compliance meetings of Food and Agricultural Organization on United Nations platforms.
- VMS is a huge step by the Government in pursuance of saving the lives and avoiding imprisonment of poor fishermen community in Indian jails. Currently, as per the latest prisoners’ lists, 256 Pakistani fishermen are in Indian jails, a majority of fishermen don’t have adequate knowledge or technology tools to know maritime boundaries. The poor fishermen on average end up spending 4 to 6 years of their lives in Indian prisons.
- A permanent solution is now available in the form of VMS against India–Pakistan maritime trespassing. Most violations occur due to the absence of a physical boundary and lack of navigational tools for small fishermen. Hundreds of fishermen are arrested by the Coast Guards of both countries, but obtaining their release is difficult and long-winded owing to the hostile relations between the two nations.
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