Succorfish has stopped forwarding IVMS data to the MMO, preventing the MMO from receiving positional data from under-12m vessels using Succorfish type-approved devices.
A Succorfish repreentative stated that the company has been forwarding recorded IVMS data from its secure servers to the MMO’s systems has been carried out entirely at Succorfish’s own cost over the last twelve months.
‘This arrangement is not sustainable,’ Succorfish’s representative commented.
‘Succorfish has been providing IVMS data forwarding services to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for over twelve months without any formal contractual arrangement or funding in place. Despite repeated engagement with the MMO – including meetings, proposals, and technical discussions – no Enabling Contract has been agreed that would allow the continuation of this service under an official framework.’
The MMO stresses its disappointment that Succorfish has chosen this course of action, and advises that those fishing vessels using Succorfish units should continue to operate as normal, including having their I-VMS devices switched on and transmitting positional data while at sea.
‘MMO remains fully committed to the I-VMS programme and has worked closely with suppliers on both the roll-out and ongoing support of this service. There is, however, an expectation that suppliers continue to meet the requirements of their I-VMS type approval, including adherence to agreed performance standards. The onward transmission of data to the UK VMS Hub is a fundamental and integral part of this type approval,’ the MMO states.
‘We are working with the supplier to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, and we thank fishers for their patience during this period.’
Succorfish states that it has supplied IVMS devices and services to the UK fishing industry since 2010, with installations both domestically and internationally, and for more than a year has been seeking to secure a contractual agreement with the MMO to ensure a structured, funded, and accountable data-forwarding process.
‘The absence of such a contract has contributed to operational delays and inefficiencies, impacting the timeliness of support and service delivery. The resumption of IVMS data forwarding to the MMO will be contingent on the MMO implementing a formal service agreement with Succorfish,’ a spokesman for the company said.
The company states that all recorded IVMS positional data from user vessels continues to be fully accessible through the Succorfish Graphical User Interface (GUI).
‘Upon device activation, every customer is issued a unique user account and secure login credentials, allowing direct access to their own vessel’s data in real time. The platform supports multi-device and historical data review, with export capabilities for compliance or operational purposes,’ the company said.
‘Succorfish remains committed to providing reliable, compliant IVMS technology and will continue to support our customers with device functionality and maintenance, independent of the MMO data-forwarding arrangement.’
