MRAG have a long history of training MCS personnel.  This ranges from developing training courses for fisheries inspectors (e.g. training of fisheries officers in Ghana) and Royal Navy officers (on how to implement ICCAT and CCAMLR inspections during their normal patrolling functions in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans) to creating dedicated MCS related modules in courses for fisheries observers.  This complements implementation work where we have provided fisheries officers for St Helena, Ascension Island and the British Indian Ocean Territory. The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Marine Protected Area (MPA) has continual coverage wih Senior Fisheries Protection Officers, trained by MRAG deployed on the BIOT Patrol Vessel Pacific Marlin year round.  Since 2011, a number fishing vessels have been arrested and found guilty of fishing illegally in the BIOT MPA, resulting in fines, coinfiscation of catch, illegal gear and in some cases the foreiture of the vessel itself, thus highlighting the successful implementation of an IUU strategy.

In addition MRAG have conducted a series of MCS training related exercises under the ACP Fish II Programme culminating in the development of a Standard National MCS Operations Manual for five ACP Countries in the Pacific that provided guidance to national MCS officers on how to effectively implement the relevant provisions from a number of regional MCS instruments.  The manual was designed with a task orientated ‘front end’ to allow an MCS officer to clearly identify what tasks need to be completed for a number of MCS elements on a daily, weekly, monthly, annual or ad hoc basis. 

In parallel to the practical implementation MRAG have also conducted a number of consultancies related to deployment of fisheries personnel at sea.  A prominent recent example was the preparation of a brief to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a paper to CCAMLR on the minimum requirements for safety at sea for observers deployed in the Southern Ocean.  This work drew on the combined experience of MRAG staff over a large number of programmes and defined a number of elements of best practice that should be implemented throughout the CCAMLR observer programmes.

Projects

Title Region End Date
Supporting Liberia and Sierra Leone’s Fishery Management Improvement

The objective of this project was to provide technical assistance for the World Bank…

Africa
Implementation of the ICCAT Regional Observer Programme - Transhipment

In November 2005, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas…

Atlantic Ocean
REM Data Integration

The goal of the project was to explore how data from Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM…

Europe
Scientific and technical advice for the management of maritime waters in British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT)

A 200 nautical mile Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone (FCMZ) was declared…

Indian Ocean
Analysis, pilot and management options for the implementation of Pelagic Landing Obligations

Compliance with the Landing Obligation will require significant changes to existing…

Europe
Bahamas IUU Risk Assessment

WWF is working with fishery stakeholders on a fishery improvement project (FIP) for…

Atlantic Ocean
Develop a Standard National MCS Operations Manual in five ACP countries in the Pacific region

MRAG provided Technical Assistance to five selected Pacific ACP States to develop an…

Pacific
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Fisheries Management.

The work undertaken by MRAG for Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich…

Atlantic Ocean
MRAG Project Provision of Scientific Advice to Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Advice was provided to the FCO and GSGSSI on scientific and fisheries issues related…

Atlantic Ocean
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for British Indian Ocean Territories (BIOT)

On behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) MRAG has aided in the…

Indian Ocean
CCAMLR Inspector Training

MRAG provided a 3-day introductory fisheries courses for officers from HMS Protector…

Atlantic Ocean
Development and updating of National MCS Strategic Plans in line with the Regional MCS strategy (CU/PE1/SI/10/002)

The shared oceanic fish stocks of the Pacific Ocean are central to the socio-economic…

Pacific
Provision of a study on information systems supporting fisheries controls in the European Union (CFCA/2010/B/02)

This project contributes to the formulation of recommendations on best practices and…

Europe
Provision of a Fisheries Officer for Atlantic UK Overseas Territories

 

In February 2010 foillowing a review of the management of the shared…

Africa
African Capacity Building Training Event - South Africa

On behalf of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), and in accordance with the…

Africa
MRAG Project Monitoring, Control and Surveillance of large pelagics in the Indian Ocean

This was a large scale pilot-project aimed at testing the conditions for regional…

Indian Ocean
MRAG Project IUU Fishing Risk Management in the Central and Western Pacific

The objective of the Consultancy project was to brief participants at the FFA's IUU…

Pacific
Fisheries Inspector Training Workshop

The Fisheries Inspector/Observer Course was developed by EEZ Consult and MRAG to…

Africa
MRAG Project Feasibility Study for an Indian Ocean Tuna Tagging Programme (RTTP) (including further services)

The objectives of this project were to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study for…

Indian Ocean