Ted Blenkers Why mark fishing boats?

 Fishing vessels need to be marked so that they can be easily identified according to international standards. The correct use of the marking of the vessels allows the fishing vessel to be related to its identity, as recorded in the vessel records. This allows retrieval of operational and / or historical information related to the vessel, including fishing authorizations and other authorizations.

The marking of fishing vessels with appropriate identifiers is an important tool in fisheries management. It allows the identification of ships in port or at sea, which facilitates the monitoring of compliance with the regulations and regulations applicable to ships and their fishing activities.

The clear marking of ship identifiers constitutes the basis for the inclusion of ships in the ship registry or in the list of authorized ships. In addition, marking facilitates safety at sea allowing physical identification and communication between ships, and can also help prevent theft of ships

The Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC) is working to raise awareness and build capacity on ship marking and identification, among WECAFC members, in support of the fight against illegal fishing, not declared, unregulated (IUU) and the establishment of a regional ship registry. The proper identification of the vessels and the linking of the records represent the basis for the improvement of the management and conservation of fisheries in the region.