England, a benchmark for small-scale fisheries monitoring with more than 1,200 NEMO devices deployed

Monitoring small-scale and inshore fisheries plays a key role in improving the understanding of fishing activities at sea and supporting the sustainable management of marine resources. In England, where thousands of fishing vessels under 12 metres operate along the coast, deploying monitoring solutions adapted to smaller vessels is helping improve both the visibility and transparency of fishing activities.

Against this backdrop, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is deploying its I-VMS (Inshore Vessel Monitoring System) programme. To support this national initiative, CLS UK is deploying NEMO, CLS’s VMS solution specifically designed for small-scale and inshore fisheries.

By providing reliable positional data, I-VMS helps authorities better understand inshore fishing activities, support evidence-based fisheries management and, where appropriate, contribute to compliance with fisheries regulations.

More than 1,200 NEMO devices deployed across 190 ports in England

Initially type-approved by the MMO in 2021, NEMO is now deployed at scale as part of England’s national I-VMS programme. More than 1,200 NEMO devices have been deployed across 190 ports, supporting the monitoring of fishing vessels under 12 metres.

With an extensive coastline bordering the North Sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean, England is home to highly diverse inshore fisheries. Small-scale vessels target species including sea bass, mackerel, cod and sole, as well as shellfish and crustaceans such as lobster, crab and scallops. This diversity of fishing activities, fishing grounds and ports highlights the importance of monitoring solutions designed around the operational realities of inshore fleets.

NEMO, designed for small-scale and inshore fisheries

Small-scale and inshore fishing vessels face very different operational constraints from larger industrial fishing vessels. Monitoring equipment must therefore be compact, robust, autonomous and easy to install, while ensuring reliable data transmission at sea.

This is precisely why CLS developed NEMO. The solution combines:

• hybrid satellite and cellular connectivity, enabling data transmission even when vessels operate outside mobile network coverage;
• simple installation, adapted to the characteristics of small fishing vessels;
• a rugged design, built to withstand demanding marine conditions;
• reliable, near-real-time position reporting;
• an assistance button, allowing fishers to send an alert even when operating outside mobile network coverage.

With more than 1,200 NEMO devices deployed across 190 ports, CLS has established itself as one of the leading providers of monitoring solutions for small-scale fishing vessels in England. Building on decades of expertise in fisheries monitoring, CLS supports governments and fisheries authorities worldwide with end-to-end MCS (Monitoring, Control and Surveillance) solutions, including Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), Electronic Reporting Systems (ERS), Fisheries Monitoring Centres (FMC) and fisheries data services.