Scotland first country in EU and UK to introduce mandatory electronic monitoring on fishing vessels
Campaigners are calling on the rest of the UK and the EU to follow suit.
Scotland has become the first country in the UK and the European Union to make a specialist electronic monitoring system compulsory for certain fishing vessels operating in its waters.
Under the new rules, Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) — which uses cameras, sensors and GPS to record activity on board fishing boats — must now be fitted on pelagic vessels measuring 12 metres or more hat are equipped with a chilling or freezer system that target small schooling fish such as mackerel, herring and sardines.
The technology allows authorities to monitor fishing trips without relying solely on human observers and CCTV. Cameras record activity on deck while sensors and satellite tracking systems log when and where nets are deployed.
Supporters of the policy say electronic monitoring will improve transparency in the fishing industry and help ensure quotas and conservation rules are being followed.
Meanwhile critics warn that enforcement will determine whether the system delivers meaningful change.
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The requirement applies to Scottish-registered pelagic vessels wherever they fish when targeting these species. Boats registered elsewhere must comply when operating within Scottish waters.
The move follows an update to the Sea Fisheries (Remote Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Scallop Fishing) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, which ministers say will strengthen oversight of some of the country’s largest fishing operations.
Industry representatives said the technology marked an important development in fisheries management, but warned that the system would only work if it was enforced equally across all vessels.
Hannah Fennell, chief executive designate of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, said: “REM is a significant step in the development of fisheries management. However, for it to be credible it must be implemented in a way that guarantees a level playing field.
“While all pelagic vessels operating in Scottish waters will have to comply with REM requirements, we are concerned about how the Marine Directorate will ensure that non-Scottish vessels have the correct equipment installed and that it is operating properly.
“The Scottish pelagic sector already works under some of the most stringent monitoring and reporting requirements and is committed to working with government and scientists to ensure robust management and healthy fish stocks.”
Environmental groups, however, welcomed the new rules and urged the rest of the UK and governments across Europe to adopt similar measures.
The Environmental Justice Foundation, a campaigning organisation, said that ten large pelagic freezer trawlers — so-called “supertrawlers” more than 100 metres long — spent an estimated 14,530 hours fishing in Scottish waters in the year to February. Including activity across the rest of the UK, the total exceeded 15,000 hours.
Campaigners said the vessels were all linked to Dutch ownership and mostly sailed under the flags of EU member states.
Steve Trent, chief executive of the Environmental Justice Foundation, said the scale of activity highlighted the need for stronger monitoring.
“Between them these ten vessels spent the equivalent of more than a year and a half of continuous fishing time in Scottish waters last year,” he said.
“Leaving such vast trawlers unmonitored opens the door to serious unreported fishing, with potentially devastating consequences for ocean life and coastal fishing communities.
“Scotland’s introduction of REM, including cameras on board vessels, is a decisive step forward. The rest of the UK and the EU should follow suit so that the same standards apply across shared waters.”
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