FIMC RULES ON

VESSEL MONITORING
MEASURES (VMM)
TYPE APPROVAL

VMM/VMS Accreditation Technical Working Group

[email protected]
DOCUMENT CONTROL

Approved by:

Name: _____________________________________________

Position: ___________________________________________

AMENDMENT HISTORY

Issue Date Change Description Author

Page 1 of 33
Table of Contents
DOCUMENT CONTROL ....................................................................................................... 1
AMENDMENT HISTORY ...................................................................................................... 1
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4
1.1. General.................................................................................................................... 4
1.2. Purpose ................................................................................................................... 4
1.3. Document Guidelines ............................................................................................... 5
1.4. Definition of Terms .................................................................................................. 5
1.5. Historical Approvals ................................................................................................ 6
1.6. Acceptance of Overseas Type Approvals ................................................................... 6
1.7. Contacts .................................................................................................................. 6
2. Application for Type Approval .................................................................................... 7
2.1. Application for Type Approval of Mobile Tranceiver Units (MTU) and
Enhanced Mobile Transceiver Units (E-MTU)....................................................................... 7
2.2. Application for Type Approval of Mobile Communication Service Providers
(MCSP)............................................................................................................................... 8
MTU TYPE APPROVAL – MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS ............................................. 10
3. MTU Type Approval - Mandatory Non-Functional Requirements ........................... 10
3.1. Prosecution Support .............................................................................................. 10
3.2. MTU Identifiers...................................................................................................... 10
3.3. MTU Applicant’s Responsibilities ............................................................................ 11
3.4. Customer Service ................................................................................................... 11
4. MTU Type Approval Mandatory Functional Requirements ..................................... 12
4.1. Messaging.............................................................................................................. 12
4.2. Position Data Formats and Transmission ................................................................ 13
E-MTU TYPE APPROVAL – MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS ......................................... 15
5. E-MTU Type Approval - Mandatory Non-Functional Requirements........................ 15
5.1. Prosecution Support .............................................................................................. 15
5.2. Identifiers.............................................................................................................. 15
6. E-MTU Type Approval Mandatory Functional Requirements .................................. 16
6.1. Email Messaging .................................................................................................... 16
6.2. Electronic Reporting System (ERS) ......................................................................... 16
MTU AND E-MTU TYPE APPROVAL – MANDATORY PHYSICAL AND SECURITY
REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................... 18
7. MTU and E-MTU Type Approval - Mandatory Physical and Security
Requirements .................................................................................................................... 18
7.1. General.................................................................................................................. 18
7.2. Marine Use ............................................................................................................ 18
7.3. Operating Temperatures ........................................................................................ 18
7.4. Physical Mounting Requirements............................................................................ 18

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 7.6. Security ................................................................................................................. 19
8. MTU/E-MTU TYPE APPROVAL – INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS ....................... 19
8.1. General.................................................................................................................. 19
8.2. Installation guide is part of type approval ............................................................... 19
8.3. Mounting the MTU or E-MTU Below Decks Unit....................................................... 19
8.4. The MTU or E-MTU Above Decks Unit ..................................................................... 20
8.5. The Power Supply .................................................................................................. 21
9. Mandatory Functional Requirements for Mobile Communications Service
Provider (MCSP)................................................................................................................ 22
9.1. Process .................................................................................................................. 22
9.2. Initiation ............................................................................................................... 22
9.3. MCSP’s MTU and/or E-MTU .................................................................................... 22
9.4. Submission ............................................................................................................ 23
9.5. Litigation Support .................................................................................................. 23
9.6. Change Control ...................................................................................................... 23
9.7. Requests for Approval ............................................................................................ 23
9.8. Identifiers.............................................................................................................. 24
9.9. Messaging.............................................................................................................. 25
9.10. Position Data Formats and Transmission............................................................. 25
9.11. Special Identified Position Reports ...................................................................... 26
9.12. Queries .............................................................................................................. 26
9.13. Position Intervals ............................................................................................... 26
9.14. Latency .............................................................................................................. 26
9.15. Shore-Side Infrastructure ................................................................................... 27
9.16. Wireless Connectivity ......................................................................................... 28
9.17. Customer Service ............................................................................................... 29
10. Type Approval Procedure ...................................................................................... 31
10.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 31
10.2. Mandatory and Optional Items ............................................................................ 31
10.3. Test Environment ............................................................................................... 31
10.4. End-to-End Testing Methodology ........................................................................ 32
10.5. Test Schedule ..................................................................................................... 32

Appendix 1 Application Forms (to be completed by applicants)

Appendix 2 Type Approval Test Plan (to be completed by applicants)
Appendix 3 Type Approval Checklist (to be completed by applicants)

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1. Introduction

1.1. General

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is responsible for

assisting its Regional Monitoring with the management of fisheries and
enforcement of fisheries law in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. Access
to timely and accurate vessel position information is vital to meeting these
responsibilities.

The BFAR Vessel Monitoring Measure/Vessel Monitoring System (VMM/VMS)

is a system that manages vessel information monitored by the Fisheries
Monitoring Center that give access to vessel position to BFAR Regional Offices.

The VMM/VMS is an important tool which BFAR uses to monitor the positions
of vessels. The VMM/VMS is based on the use of BFAR approved Mobile
Transceiver Unit (MTU) and Enhanced Mobile Transceiver Unit (E-MTU)
installed on board fishing vessels and provided by an approved Mobile
Communications Service Providers (MCSP) to track the vessel.

BFAR uses a type approval process to regulate the types of MTU and E-MTU
available to vessel operators. This type approval process is aimed to ensure that
the MTU and E-MTU adhere to the requirements and standards of BFAR. The
MCSP will need to apply for the type approval of the MTU and E-MTU, and will
need to agree to submit documents required by BFAR, including
documentations relating to the MCSP, MTU, and E-MTU released from other
fisheries authorities of other countries, if applicable. However, MCSP, MTU, and
E-MTU applicants should note that type approval from other fisheries
authorities does not automatically qualify their application for type approval
under BFAR’s requirements.

1.2. Purpose

This document details the requirements for the type approval of Vessel
Monitoring Measure and Vessel Monitoring System as a whole to be utilized and
managed by the BFAR. BFAR reserves the right to change the requirements from
time to time, as BFAR deems fit, prior to the approval of the application. It is the
applicant’s responsibility to verify that their application adheres to the latest
requirements of BFAR.

BFAR will deploy an ‘‘open system,’’ whereby BFAR will encourage multiple
MCSPs to provide choices on multiple MTUs and E-MTUs available to the fishing
industry. This way, the industry may select from a variety of approved
VMM/VMS types to encourage competition amongst MCSPs to improve the price
and promote better service.

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1.3. Document Guidelines

Section Purpose
2 Provides guidance on the application for type approval
3,4 Specifications for MTU type approval, includes non-functional and
functional requirements
5,6 Specifications for E-MTU type approval, includes non-functional
and functional requirements
7 Specifications for the E-MTU/MTU Type Approval mandatory
physical and security requirements

8 Specifications for the E-MTU/MTU Type Approval mandatory

installation requirements
9 Specifications for MCSP type approval
10 Testing Process

Note: The requirements are MANDATORY for type approval. It is highly

recommended that applicants must inquire from BFAR and discuss the
requirements in detail before submission of type approval application.

BFAR type approval DOES NOT, in any way endorse or prefer any particular
MTU, E-MTU, or MCSP. Advertisement of applicants may only refer to “BFAR
Type Approval” or “BFAR Type Approved”.

1.4. Definition of Terms

Terms/Abbreviation Description
DA Department of Agriculture
BFAR Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
VMS Vessel Monitoring System
VMM Vessel Monitoring Measures
MTU Mobile Transmitting Unit
E-MTU Enhanced Mobile Transmitting Unit, with two-way
e-mail and forms capabilities
ERS Electronic Reporting System
ECDTS Electronic Catch Data and Traceability System
MCSP Mobile Communications Service Provider

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 OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer/Manufacturing

E-forms Electronic forms, such as catch reporting or

declaration forms
UTC Universal Time Coordinated
Communications Class Refers to the medium, protocol, and frequency of
the mobile wireless communications technology

1.5. Historical Approvals

At present, there is already an existing type approved MCSP together with type
approved MTUs and these MTUs will remain as type approved MTUs only. The
MCSP of these MTUs may request to enhance its type approval to E-MTUs but
will need to go through the processes and approvals as set forth in this
document.

Likewise, the incumbent MCSP is assumed to be an existing type approved MCSP

compliant with the requirements set forth in this document. However, if it is
later proven that the incumbent MCSP lacks adherence to the requirements of
this document, BFAR shall then require the incumbent MCSP to submit the
necessary documents and adhere to all the requirements set forth in this
document for type approval.

All new MCSP applicants will need to comply in accordance with this document
in order to be approved.

1.6. Acceptance of Overseas Type Approvals

If a type approval to an MCSP and its MTU or E-MTU has been issued by any
other government fisheries administration outside the Philippines, BFAR, at its
sole discretion, may or may not accept all or any part of the type approval
application, provided that the applicant MCSP with its MTU and/or E-MTU, who
quoted foreign type approval, must still comply with all the requirements
specified in this document. The procedures in applying for type approval
detailed in this document must be complied with.

1.7. Contacts

BFAR Office of the BFAR Office of the Director/ VMM Type Approval
Accreditation TWG

Telephone: (02) 287- 48-68

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bfar.da.gov.ph

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 Address: 3 rd Floor, PCA Building, Elliptical Road,
Diliman, Quezon City

2. Application for Type Approval

2.1. Application for Type Approval of Mobile Transceiver Units (MTU) and
Enhanced Mobile Transceiver Units (E-MTU)

2.1.1. Application Form

The BFAR’s Type Approval application form shall be accompanied by any

supporting application details/documents. Application forms are available on
the BFAR website or by contacting the BFAR Office of the Director/ VMM
Accreditation TWG. The said forms could be found at Appendix 1 of this
document.

2.1.2. Requirements for the Type Approval

An applicant of an MTU or E-MTU requesting Type Approval shall commence

their application by certifying that the unit requested meets the minimum
VMM/VMS standards as required by this document. Applicants must describe in
detail the extent to which its unit complies with each of the requirements stated
in this document.

The applicant must provide BFAR with two (2) units for testing. The applicant
must also provide complete documentation such as, but not limited to fact
sheets, datasheets, technical specifications, installation guides, operator
manuals, user handbooks, the applicable interfacing software, technical support,
service level documents, and other documents that the applicant will find useful.

BFAR will then:

• Review the applications against the specification and requirements of this

document; and
• Perform field tests and sea trials.

These tests involve testing in every aspect of the unit operation, including
installation, location tracking, messaging, electronic catch reporting, and
maintenance procedures. The applicant must submit requests for Type
Approval, along with hard and soft copies of supporting materials, to the BFAR
Director/TWG.

Consideration will be given to MTUs or E-MTUs that have passed a comparable

type approval process in another foreign fisheries management authorities. If
applicable, the applicant should provide the MTUs or E-MTUs specifications, the

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 details of foreign requirement specifications, the MTUs or E-MTUs level of
compliance, and appropriate contact details of the qualifying authorities. BFAR
will also consider qualifying different model of MTUs or E-MTUs which are
resold or packaged as different models where in the same model under a
different name has already received by BFAR for Type Approval. In either case,
applicants must supply all the required documents, etc., for type approval.
Applicants must complete and provide the Type Approval Checklist and Test
Plan (attached in Appendix 3) and submit the complete copies with their
application.

2.2. Application for Type Approval of Mobile Communication Service Providers

(MCSP)

2.2.1. Application Form

BFAR’s MCSP Type Approval application form shall be accompanied by any

supporting application details/documents. Application forms are available on
the BFAR website or by contacting the BFAR Office of the Director/ VMM
Accreditation TWG. The said forms could be found at Appendix 1 of this
document.

2.2.2. Qualifications in the submission for Type Approval

Applicants for MCSP Type Approval shall be a duly registered Philippine

Corporation, Partnership or Single Proprietorship, owned majority by
Philippine Nationals and is in good standing.

Consideration will be given to an MCSP applicant that has already passed a

comparable type approval process in other foreign fisheries management
authorities. In such cases, the application shall be accompanied by proofs of
accreditation and/or approval from the relevant foreign fishing management
authorities. However, the passing of the MCSP applicant to the type approval
process of other foreign fisheries management doesn’t guarantee the type
approval and accreditation of BFAR to the MCSP applicant.

An MCSP seeking for Type Approval within a particular communications class

for VMM/VMS must adhere with the standards given when using at least one
type approved model of MTU or E-MTU within the same class. The MCSP
applicant should also apply for a concurrent type approval for an MTU and/or
an E-MTU.

All the data to be received by BFAR from the MCSP applicant in operating the
VMM/VMS must be in a secure and encrypted format compatible with BFAR
servers, such as, but not limited to, BFAR’s tracking and catch reporting
software.

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An applicant requesting MCSP Type Approval shall describe in detail the extent
to which the MCSP complies with each of the requirements set forth in this
document. The applicant for MCSP Type Approval must provide BFAR with one
MTU or E-MTU of the same communications class and the required
communications service for testing. The applicant must also provide complete
MTU or E-MTU documentations, including fact sheets, installation guides,
operator manuals, user handbooks, the applicable interfacing software, and
technical support.

Therefore, the BFAR shall:

• Review the applications against the criteria of this document; and

• Perform field test and sea trials of the MCSP service. BFAR will
coordinate test conditions with volunteer and/or contract fishing
vessels.

The tests that will be conducted by BFAR will involve demonstrating every
aspect of unit operation, including installation, location tracking, messaging, and
maintenance procedures. Applicants for MCSP Type Approval shall submit
requests for type approval, along with hard and soft copies of support material
to the BFAR VMM/VMS Manager. Applicants must complete and provide the
Type Approval Checklist and Test Plan and submit the completed copies with
their application.

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MTU TYPE APPROVAL – MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Section 3 and Section 4 describe the Type Approval requirements for MTUs. Applicants
must respond to each of the items in Sections 3 and 4 of this document using the Type
Approval Checklist as attached in Appendix 3. The applicant’s response should indicate
how the applicant complies with the requirement of the sections. For sections where the
applicant is not able to comply, the applicant must explain how they intend to comply
with the requirement prior to approval.

3. MTU Type Approval - Mandatory Non-Functional Requirements

3.1. Prosecution Support

The reliability of all technologies utilized in the MTU may be analyzed in a court
for, inter alia, testing procedures, error rates, peer review, and general industry
acceptance. The approved MCSP may be required to provide technical and expert
opinion during litigations to support and validate the MTU capabilities and
accuracy in establishing BFAR’s (or a BFAR members’) case against violators. In
the above case, the MCSP must be able to describe the evidence and provide
reliability of the data/ technology. In addition, to maintain the integrity of
VMM/VMS for fisheries management, the applicant will be required to sign a non-
disclosure agreement with BFAR limiting the release of certain information that
may compromise the effectiveness of the operations, such as details of anti-
tampering safeguards. The MCSP shall include a statement confirming its
agreement with these conditions.

3.2. MTU Identifiers

Specify the identifying characteristics of the MTU:

3.2.1. The communications class
3.2.2. The manufacturer
3.2.3. The brand name (where a brand name may vary around the world include
all brand names likely to be used in the geographical area)
3.2.4. The model name (where a model name may vary around the world include
all brand names likely to be used in the geographical area)
3.2.5. The model number
3.2.6. The software version number and date
3.2.7. The firmware version number and date
3.2.8. The hardware version number and date
3.2.9. The antenna type
3.2.10. The antenna model number and date
3.2.11. The MCSP(s) providing communications services

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3.3. MTU Applicant’s Responsibilities

For the following responsibilities, name the specific business entities on behalf
of the manufacturer and applicant applying for Type Approval. This includes the
address, mobile contacts, email address, and designated geographic territory if
applicable.

3.3.1. Manufacturer
3.3.2. Label or use MTU for an OEM. This includes re-labeling OEM MTUs or
reselling. Reselling includes value added reselling. The MTU that is type
approved is the final, value-added product and not the original
manufacturer’s MTU, if enhancements or modifications have been made.
For example, if a transceiver is contained within an enclosure, it is the new
enclosure including the transceiver that is being type approved
3.3.3. Distribute
3.3.4. Sell
3.3.5. Bench configures the MTU at the warehouse or point of supply
3.3.6. Install MTU onboard the vessel
3.3.7 Offer limited warranty
3.3.7. Offer maintenance and service agreement
3.3.8. Repair
3.3.9. Training
3.3.10. Advertisement

3.4. Customer Service

The MTU applicant or its designated entities shall provide customer service in a
professional, courteous, and responsive standard. The applicant shall provide
MTU diagnostic and troubleshooting support to BFAR and fishing customers. No
services shall be billed to BFAR and its fishing customers without being
specifically contracted for in writing by BFAR. Services shall include:

3.4.1. Service level, warranty, and maintenance agreements. Clarified

constraints, if any, on the geographic territory, personnel availability, and
escalation procedures for problem resolution covered by such services.
3.4.2. Facilities and procedures must be in place to assist the fishing operators in
maintaining and repairing their MTU, including response and general
system turnaround time.
3.4.3. Support in the determination and isolation of the cause of communications
anomalies.
3.4.4. Assist in the resolution of communications anomalies that are traced to the
MTU that includes cases such as, but not limited to, interference from
shipboard equipment.
3.4.5. All services above will be considered to be free of charge unless specifically
listed in service or purchase agreements.

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 3.5. Other Information

3.5.1. The MTU must have the durability and reliability necessary to provide acceptable
service in a marine environment where the unit may be subjected to saltwater
sprays in smaller vessels, and in larger vessels where the unit may be maintained
in a wheelhouse. The unit, cabling, and antenna must be resistant to moisture and
shock associate with the marine environments. The unit must also be able to deal
with fluctuating power supplies found on board vessels. (Refer to Section 8 for
further details.)

3.5.2. The MTU must comply with additional requirements specified by BFAR for specific
fisheries applications. The MTU applicant must review the BFAR rules and
regulations requiring the use of VMM/VMS and respond to any specific
requirements listed in this document.

3.5.3. All Personal Identifiable Information (PII) provided by vessels owners or other
authorized personnel in the purchase or activation of MTU or E-MTU, or for the
participation in any BFAR VMM/VMS-approved fishery projects must be protected
from unauthorized disclosure. PII disclosure restrictions includes information,
such as but not limited to, names, addresses, telephone numbers, passport
numbers, credit card numbers, vessel names, federal, state, and local
documentation numbers, email addresses, and crew lists.

3.5.4. Any information sent electronically to BFAR must be transmitted by a secure

means that prevents interception, spoofing, or viewing by unauthorized
individuals. Any release of such information must be requested and approved in
writing by the vessel owner or authorized personnel, or BFAR. Inadvertent or
intentional unauthorized release of PII will serve as grounds for reconsideration
and possible revocation of the Type Approval for any MTU or E-MTU supplied by
the offending MCSP. Any inadvertent or unintentional unauthorized release of PII
must be reported immediately to BFAR by the MCSP as soon as the discovery.

3.5.5. Several MTUs will have the capability to be accessed using a computer or a tablet
attached. If the MTU applicant is not intending to apply for an E-MTU approval,
then it is acceptable that a computer or tablet may be attached by the fishing
operator to utilize the communication capabilities of the MTU. If this capability is
available, the applicant must demonstrate that the attachment of a computer or a
tablet will not impact, in any way, the mandatory functional requirements of the
MTU. It should not be possible to alter the functional requirements of the MTU by
using a computer or a tablet unless the alterations are conducted by an authorized
representative of the MTU applicant to change the functional requirements within
the specifications detailed in this document.

4. MTU Type Approval Mandatory Functional Requirements

4.1. Messaging

The MTU must provide the following messaging functionality:

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 4.1.1. Transmit mandatory and automatically generated position reports.
4.1.2. Onboard visible and/or audible alarms for malfunctioning MTU.
4.1.3. Ability to disable non-essential alarms in non-Global Maritime Distress and
Safety System (GMDSS) installations.
4.1.4. Ability to provide comprehensive, reliable, and transparent
communications, which function uniformly within the entire geographic
coverage area for that communications class.
4.1.5. Two-way communications between MCSP and MTU that will support
capabilities such as manual polling and remote configurations.
4.1.6. The ability to send and receive messages, such as but not limited to, emails
and/or text messages

4.2. Position Data Formats and Transmission

4.2.1. The MTU must provide the following position, automatically or on demand,
information (other information may be required under BFAR fishery rules):
4.2.1.1. Position fixes latitude and longitude, including the hemisphere of
each report.
4.2.1.2. The position fix precision must be to the decimal minute
hundredths.
4.2.1.3. Accuracy of the reported position must be within 100 meters,
unless otherwise indicated by an existing regulation or VMM/VMS
requirement.
4.2.1.4. Unique identification of an MTU within the communications class.
4.2.1.5. Date (year/month/day with century in the year) and time (UTC)
stamp of the position fix.

4.2.2. Communications between MTU and MCSP must be secure from tampering
or interception, including the reading of passwords and other data. The
MTU must have mechanisms to prevent to the extent possible:
4.2.2.1. Interception and “sniffing” during transmission from the MTU to
MCSP via either wireless satellite or terrestrial facilities.
4.2.2.2. Spoofing, whereby one MTU is fraudulently identifying itself as
another MTU.
4.2.2.3. Modification of MTU identification.
4.2.2.4. Interference with GMDSS or other safety/distress functions.
4.2.2.5. Introduction of viruses that may corrupt the messages,
transmission, or the VMM/VMS system.

4.2.3. MTU shall provide the ability to meet minimum reporting requirements
and intervals as required for specific BFAR rules requiring the use of
VMM/VMS.

4.2.4. Provide automatically generated position reporting, for vessels managed

individually or grouped by fleet, such that BFAR automatically receives
position reports at defined intervals transparent to the geographic region.

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4.2.5. Have the ability to store 100 position fixes in local, non-volatile memory
when the MTU is either unable to transmit or BFAR configured the MTU to
a ‘‘store and retrieve’’ mode. These positions must be either transferred to
local storage media or transmitted via MCSP.

4.2.6. Allow for variable reporting intervals between 5 minutes and 24 hours,
configurable locally or remotely.

4.2.7. The MTU must be capable of having its poll reporting intervals changed
remotely, and only by authorized users.

4.2.8. In addition to automatically generated position reports, special identified

position reports shall be generated upon:
4.2.8.1. Antenna disconnection
4.2.8.2. Loss of the positioning reference signals.
4.2.8.3. Loss of the mobile or satellite communications signals.
4.2.8.4. Security events, power-up, power-down, and other status data.
4.2.8.5. The vessel crossing a predefined geographic boundary as set by
BFAR
4.2.8.6. MTU status information such as configuration of programming and
reporting intervals.
4.2.8.7. When an MTU is powered up, it must automatically re-establish its
position reporting function without manual intervention.

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E-MTU TYPE APPROVAL – MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Section 5 and Section 6 describe the Type Approval requirements for E–MTUs that are
in addition to the VMM/VMS requirements defined in Section 3 and Section 4 of this
document. An E-MTU should support Email and Electronic Reporting System (ERS) E-
Forms transmission capabilities onboard vessels. An E-MTU could also have additional
capabilities such as voice calling, emergency dialing, support for fishing operational
efficiency applications such as email, weather, oceanographic data, push-to-talk (PTT),
and Internet applications such as social media, chatting, etc.

Before the submission of equipment for testing as an E-MTU, the equipment must pass
all type approval tests of a standard MTU configuration.

Equipment that passes these additional tests will be type approved as both an MTU
(position reporting only) and an E-MTU (position and ERS-based reporting).

5. E-MTU Type Approval - Mandatory Non-Functional Requirements

5.1. Prosecution Support

The reliability of all technologies utilized in the E-MTU may be analyzed in a court
for, inter alia, testing procedures, error rates, peer review, and general industry
acceptance. The approved MCSP may be required to provide technical and expert
opinion during litigations to support and validate the E-MTU capabilities and
accuracy in establishing BFAR’s (or a BFAR members’) case against violators. In
the above case, the MCSP must be able to describe the evidence and provide
reliability of the data/ technology. In addition, to maintain the integrity of
VMM/VMS for fisheries management, the applicant will be required to sign a non-
disclosure agreement with BFAR limiting the release of certain information that
may compromise the effectiveness of the operations, such as details of anti-
tampering safeguards. The MCSP shall include a statement confirming its
agreement with these conditions.

5.2. Identifiers

In additional to the identifiers as required and enumerated in Section 3.2 above,

the following identifiers must be provided for every E-MTU type approval
application:

5.2.1. Computer or tablet model number and date

5.2.2. Computer or tablet manufacturer
5.2.3. Computer or tablet software type, version and manufacturer.

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6. E-MTU Type Approval Mandatory Functional Requirements

6.1. Email Messaging

6.1.1. Email Messaging from vessel to shore with a minimum supported message
size of at least 1 kilobyte.
6.1.2. User interface on the computer or tablet must support an ’address book’
capability and a function permitting a ‘‘reply’’ to a received message without
re-entry of the senders’ e-mail address.
6.1.3. A confirmation of delivery function is required such that a user can
ascertain whether a specific message was successfully transmitted via the
satellite system to the email server(s).
6.1.4. Onward delivery to BFAR must be reliable and make use of features such as
SMTP retries and delivery confirmation to ensure a reliable transport path
exists for text messages sent from the vessel to BFAR.
6.1.5. The user interface in the computer or tablet must provide the ability to
review by date order, or by recipient, messages that were previously sent.
The user interface must support a minimum message history of 20
messages - commonly referred to as an ’Outbox’ or ’Sent’ messages display.
6.1.6. Text messaging from shore to vessel with a minimum supported message
length of 1kb. Attachment support is not required.
6.1.7. The user interface must provide the ability to review by date order, or by
sender, all messages received. The terminal must support a minimum
message history of 20 messages - commonly referred to as an ’Inbox’.
6.1.8. Non-Delivery Notifications (NDN) must be sent to the originator where
delivery to the recipient could not be completed for any reason. Such NDN
must include sufficient information to uniquely identify the message that
failed and the cause of failure (i.e., mobile number invalid, mobile switched
off etc.).

6.2. Electronic Reporting System (ERS)

Pre-formatted E-Forms are required by BFAR for the collection of validated data
for specific fisheries programs (i.e., declaration systems, catch effort reporting).
This function is referred to as Electronic Reporting Systems (ERS) where the
fishing vessel could transmit “Electronic Forms” (E-forms) to be used for ERS.
The E-MTU must support the transmission of a minimum of 20 types of E-Forms,
selected by the user in a menu from the E-MTU computer or tablet. The E-MTU
must have the ability to support Over-the-Air (OTA) updates of the E-Forms.

E-MTU approved suppliers should be compatible to the mobile application

(App) called the Electronic Catch Data and Traceability System (ECDTS) App
that is developed by BFAR for ERS. This ECDTS App will have the pre-formatted
E-Forms required by BFAR and will enable the direct and real time IP based
transmission of the E-Forms from the vessel to BFAR. Use of the ECDTS App is

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highly encouraged as it will ensure the constant compliance of the ERS related
E-Forms that will be used by the E-MTU as specified by BFAR.

Additional capabilities beyond those stated here are acceptable, provided that
the minimum requirements are satisfied:

Page 17 of 33
MTU AND E-MTU TYPE APPROVAL – MANDATORY PHYSICAL AND
SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Section 7 and Section 8 describe the type approval requirements for the physical
specification and installation of both MTUs and E-MTUs

7. MTU and E-MTU Type Approval - Mandatory Physical and Security

Requirements

7.1. General

The MTU and E-MTU must have the durability and reliability necessary to
provide acceptable service in a marine environment where the unit might be
subjected to saltwater sprays in smaller vessels, and in larger vessels where the
unit may be maintained in a wheelhouse. The unit, cabling, and antenna must be
resistant to moisture and shock associate with the marine environments.

7.2. Marine Use

All units of the system shall be designed for marine use - that is, components that
are exposed to the elements in the normal course of operation shall be suitably
rated (minimum IP56, IPx6, or equivalent) to ensure reliable continuous
operation. Components that are housed below decks in the normal course of
operation shall be suitably rated to ensure suitable reliable continuous
operation.

7.3. Operating Temperatures

The MTU and E-MTU, excluding the computer and/or the tablet, shall be able to
function at specified accuracy between -20 degrees Celsius and +50 degrees
Celsius.

7.4. Physical Mounting Requirements

All parts of the MTU and E-MTU system shall be provided with suitable mounting
instructions and fittings for marine use. Such fixings shall be capable of securing
the device to prevent movement when exposed to the vibration, shaking and
marine environment typically experienced aboard a deep-sea going vessel, so as
to ensure continued reliable operation as required by the VMM/VMS.

7.5. E-MTU Terminal

The E-MTU terminal must be suitable to use in the marine environment. As the
exposure to the marine environment can vary depending on application,
applicants must specify the level of exposure to the marine environment
recommended for their computer and/or tablet.

Page 18 of 33
 7.6. Security

7.6.1. The MTU or E-MTU must provide robust protection against willful attempts
to compromise the physical security of the housing and must be tamper
proof and tamper evident, i.e. evidence of attempts to compromise the
physical housing should be detectable on inspection. Applicants must
demonstrate how this will be achieved.

7.6.2. The MTU or E-MTU must have security features that prevents the unit
configuration to be altered via the computer or tablet of the E-MTU or by
attaching a computer or a tablet to the MTU. Software must be ‘locked down’
to prevent interference with the operation of the unit via the software.
Applicants must demonstrate how this specification will be met.

8. MTU/E-MTU TYPE APPROVAL – INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

8.1. General

This section of the document defines minimum standards for the installation of
all components of the MTU or E-MTU. Applicants must demonstrate how they
meet or exceed these requirements.

The applicant shall be responsible such that the integrity of the system is
maintained during installation. Installation shall be carried out by either the
MTU or E-MTU type approval applicant or the MCSP’s certified installer.

The vessel operator is responsible for ensuring that all components of the MTU
or E-MTU are operated in a manner that provides continuous reliable operation
of the MTU or E-MTU as a part of the VMM/VMS regulations compliance. The
following subsections provide more detailed instructions for the installation of
the main components of the MTU or E-MTU.

8.2. Installation guide is part of type approval

Applicants are to provide the installation manual or guide that is applicable to

the MTU or E-MTU.

8.3. Mounting the MTU or E-MTU Below Decks Unit

In cases where the MTU or E-MTU Below Decks Unit (BDU) box is separate from
the Above Deck Unit (ADU or simply antenna), the MTU or E-MTU BDU shall be
installed, commissioned and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions in such a way as to ensure correct operation. Fixings used shall be
capable of securing the device to prevent movement when exposed to the
vibration, shaking and marine environment typically experienced aboard a
deep-sea going vessel so as to ensure continuous reliable operation of the MTU
as a part of the VMM/VMS.

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 The vessel operator is responsible for ensuring that the MTU or E-MTU is at all
times operating in a manner that provides continuous reliable operation of the
MTU as a part of the VMM/VMS regulations compliance.

8.4. The MTU or E-MTU Above Decks Unit

8.4.1. The MTU or E-MTU Above Decks Unit (ADU) or antenna shall be installed,
commissioned and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions and in such a manner as to ensure correct operation. Fixings
used shall be capable of securing the device to prevent movement when
exposed to the vibration, shaking and marine environment typically
experienced aboard a sea going vessel so as to ensure continuous reliable
operation of the MTU or E-MTU as a part of the VMM/VMS compliance
regulations.

The ADU shall be installed in an area to minimize other structures

obstructing the view of either the GPS or communication satellites in such
a manner as to degrade the MTU’s or E-MTU’s performance. The ADU shall
be mounted in a position which shall meet manufacturer's
recommendations of minimum distances from any HF, VHF, GPS or other
antennas or magnetic compasses.

In addition, the ADU shall be mounted, in accordance with the

manufacturer’s instructions, in a position where no humans will come
within such a distance from it whereby, they are exposed to dangerous
levels of electromagnetic radiation while performing normal ship activities.
The vessel operator is responsible for ensuring that the ADU is at all times
installed in a manner that provides continuous reliable operation of the
MTU or E-MTU as a part of the VMM/VMS.

8.4.2. The ADU’s cable/s refers to the cable/s used to connect the ADU to the MTU
or E-MTU BDU.

The ADU cable(s) used shall be supplied and/or specified by the

manufacturer. The maximum cable length, as specified by the manufacturer,
shall not be exceeded. The ADU cable shall be installed in position where it
will not be damaged by normal ship activity. This may involve enclosing the
cable in a protective conduit. All grounding requirements of the ADU, as
specified by the manufacturer, shall be followed.

All connections between the cable, the ADU and BDU shall be suitable for
marine use where the connection is to be exposed to the external
environment. Connectors used shall be designed for use in a marine
environment. The vessel operator is responsible for ensuring that the ADU
cable is at all times installed in a manner that provides continuous reliable
operation of the VMM/VMS.

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8.5. The Power Supply

The power supply shall be capable of delivering the required power during
transmission without degradation of performance of the MTU or E-MTU. The
power supply shall be sufficiently stable and noise free to allow continuous error
free MTU or E-MTU operation.

If the power supply is supplied by the applicant of the MTU or E-MTU, it shall be
mounted following instructions provided by the manufacturer of the power
supply. Fixings used shall be capable of securing the device to prevent movement
when exposed to the vibration, shaking and marine environment typically
experienced aboard a deep-sea going vessel.

Grounding requirements, as specified by the manufacturer of the power supply,

must be followed. The vessel operator is responsible for ensuring that the power
supply meets the above requirements in a manner that provides continuous
reliable operation of the MTU or E-MTU as a part of the VMM/VMS and that the
power supply is sufficient to meet the needs to other onboard equipment.

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Mobile Communications Service Provider Type Approval
9. Mandatory Functional Requirements for Mobile Communications
Service Provider (MCSP)

9.1. Process

Based on a request for type approval from an applicant Mobile Communications

Service Provider (MCSP), BFAR will conduct a thorough evaluation and then
issue a statement to accept or deny the type approval application of an MCSP. The
MCSP must meet the minimal VMM/VMS standards as required by this document
and other requirements for specific applications for which approval is sought.

MCSP applicants are encouraged to verify with BFAR other specific application
requirements before applying for Type Approval. After successful demonstration
of compliance to the standards in this document, BFAR will issue a MCSP Type
Approval for a particular communications class, whether with MTU and/or an E-
MTU. BFAR approval will not necessarily result in BFAR procurement of MCSP
services.

9.2. Initiation

BFAR will initiate the MCSP type approval process upon written request from the
applicant, subject to the demonstration of compliance with this document and
the availability of test units. The applicant for MCSP type approval may be the
company, systems integrator, distributor, and/or value-added reseller, etc.,
acting within the constraints of its agreement with its principal communications
company.

Consideration will be given to an MCSP that has already passed a comparable

type approval process in a foreign fisheries management authority but this
consideration doesn’t constitute any guarantee that the MCSP applicant will be
type approve by BFAR.

9.3. MCSP’s MTU and/or E-MTU

An MCSP seeking type approval within a particular communications class for

VMM/VMS must demonstrate that it meets the standards when using at least one
type approved MTU and/or E-MTU or an MTU and/or E-MTU that has a pending
type approval application from BFAR.

Data received at BFAR from the MCSP must be in a secure and encrypted format
compatible with BFAR vessel tracking software.

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9.4. Submission

An applicant requesting MCSP type approval shall begin by describing in detail

the extent to which the MCSP complies with each of the requirements set forth
within this document. The MCSP applicant must provide BFAR with their
intended MTU and/or E-MTU to be type approved together with the required
communications service for a minimum 90-day test and approval period.

The MCSP applicant must also provide a complete MTU or E-MTU

documentation, including fact sheets, installation guides, operator manuals, user
handbooks, the applicable interfacing software, and technical support. BFAR
shall review the submissions against the criteria in this document then perform
field test and sea trials.

These tests will involve demonstrating every aspect of MCSP operation, including
programming a registered MTU or E-MTU, location tracking, messaging, E-Forms
transmission and troubleshooting procedures.

9.5. Litigation Support

VMM/VMS data shall be used for monitoring law enforcement. The MCSP must
be able to provide technical and expert support for litigation purposes.

9.6. Change Control

Once qualified, it is the responsibility of the MCSP to notify BFAR of any change
in its submission. Such changes could include information such as, but not limited
to:
• Interconnect facilities
• Geographic coverage
• Performance characteristics
• Customer support contacts

BFAR reserves the right to reconsider and revoke the MCSP type approval if, as a
result of the change, the MCSP no longer satisfies the requirements for MCSP type
approval of BFAR.

9.7. Requests for Approval

Applicants must respond to each of the items listed in all Sections of this
document and any applicable attachments. The response should indicate how the
MCSP complies with the requirements in each section. If there are items in this
document that the MCSP could not comply with, the applicant must respond by
explaining how the MCSP will comply before any decision on the type approval
is made by BFAR.

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9.8. Identifiers

9.8.1. The MCSP must provide the following specifications and identifying
characteristics:

9.8.1.1. Direct sales

9.8.1.2. Indirect/distributor/channel sales
9.8.1.3. Billing
9.8.1.4. Account management
9.8.1.5. Customer service
9.8.1.6. Technical support
9.8.1.7. Public affairs
9.8.1.8. Advertising
9.8.1.9. Communications class of its MTU or E-MTU
9.8.1.10. Trade name of the service
9.8.1.11. Company name
9.8.1.12. Corporate headquarters
9.8.1.13. Principal business
9.8.1.14. Parent and subsidiary companies, if applicable
9.8.1.15. Name and locations of principal terrestrial or ground facilities, e.g.,
downlinks, gateways, switches, and operation centers.

9.8.2. The MCSP must support at least one MTU or E-MTU type approved by
BFAR unless the request is made bundled with a new MTU and/or E-MTU
type approval application. If the request is made bundled with an MTU
and/or E-MTU application, approval of the MCSP will be contingent upon
the approval of the MTU and/or E-MTU. The MCSP’s MTU and/or E-MTU
communications class must adhere to the following requirements:

9.8.2.1. For Satellite based communications class, the MCSP must provide
adequate orbit types, constellation size, and coverage footprint to
provide comprehensive coverage of the VMM/VMS fishery areas as
required by BFAR.
9.8.2.2. For Cellular based communications class, the MCSP must provide
adequate coverage footprints, tower distribution density, tower
locations, and protocols required to provide comprehensive coverage
of the VMM/VMS fishery areas as required by BFAR.
9.8.2.3. For Radio based communications class, the MCSP must provide
adequate coast stations, locations, antennas, and antenna size to
provide comprehensive coverage of the VMM/VMS fishery areas as
required by BFAR.

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9.9. Messaging

The MCSP shall be capable of communications that support the following

messaging functions:
9.9.1. Ability of MTU and E-MTU to transmit multiple message types:
9.9.1.1. Automatically generated position reports
9.9.1.2. Event-driven position reports
9.9.1.3. Safety and distress calls, alerts and messages to official rescue
organizations such as global Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers
(MRCCs) etc.
9.9.1.4. Transmission and Receiving of Email messages
9.9.1.5. ERS via the ECDTS App of BFAR or E-Forms transmission

9.9.2. Ability to provide comprehensive and transparent communications using

the supported MTU and/or E-MTU which functions uniformly within the
entire area of the geographic coverage area for the particular
communications class.

9.9.3. Ability to perform two-way messaging with the vessel.

9.9.4. Ability for BFAR to initiate communications to vessels, either individually

or by originator-defined groups of vessels.

9.10. Position Data Formats and Transmission

An MCSP should support an MTU’s or E-MTU’s ability to transmit automatically

generated position reports that contain the following:

9.10.1. Position fix latitude and longitude, including the hemisphere of each.
9.10.2. The precision of the position fix shall be to the decimal minute
hundredths.
9.10.3. Accuracy of the position fix must be within 100 meters, unless otherwise
indicated by BFAR’s requirement
9.10.4. Unique identification of an MTU within the communications class.
9.10.5. Date (year/month/day with century in the year) and time (UTC) stamp
of the position fix.
9.10.6. Date (year/month/day with century in the year) and time (UTC) when
the position report is received at the MCSP.
9.10.7. Date (year/month/day with century in the year) and time (UTC) stamp
when the position report is sent to BFAR.
9.10.8. MTU and/or E-MTU status information, such as configuration of
programming and reporting intervals, power save modes, antenna
disconnection, and power-up/ power down, and loss of positioning
signal.

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9.11. Special Identified Position Reports

In addition to automatically generated position reports, the MCSP must support

the MTU’s and/or E-MTU’s ability to transmit specially identified position
reports. If the MTU and/or E-MTU is unable to transmit status upon the
occurrence of these events below, then the specially identified position reports
are transmitted when its ability to transmit is reestablished.

9.11.1. Loss of the positioning reference signals

9.11.2. Loss of the mobile communications signals
9.11.3. Security events and other status data
9.11.4. The vessel crossing a predefined geographic boundary
9.11.5. Automatically generated position reports sent to BFAR from the MCSP
must be in a format compatible with BFAR vessel monitoring software.

9.12. Queries

The MCSP shall allow the initiation of queries to extract information from single
and multiple vessels to satisfy the following criteria:

9.12.1. For queries addressed to an individual vessel or a group of vessels, the

vessel/s may be comprised of:
9.12.1.1. Vessel/s presently located within a geographic area (for example,
defined by a circle or a rectangle, used by fisheries patrol vessels for
operations)
9.12.1.2. Vessel/s that are member/s of a BFAR defined logical grouping (For
example, grouped by fish type, gear type, or region of home port)

9.12.2. The purpose of the queries are the following:

9.12.2.1. Reprogramming or reconfiguring position reporting features.
9.12.2.2. Determining current position.
9.12.2.3. Extracting feature states, such as sensor status.

9.13. Position Intervals

The MCSP must support the ability to determine the position of an MTU and/or
E-MTU at fixed, remotely programmable reporting intervals between 5 minutes
and 24 hours.

9.14. Latency

The MCSP must meet latency requirements from 5 minutes or less (real time
transmission is preferred) to 3 hours (store and forward) between the time a
position is fixed and the time it is received in BFAR.

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9.15. Shore-Side Infrastructure

9.15.1. The BFAR VMM/VMS servers supports multiple VMM/VMS rules with
incoming data from multiple vessels that may be using different MTUs or
E-MTUs within a communications class, or multiple classes, from multiple
MCSPs. The MCSP receives data in a class native format from the MTUs or
E-MTUs at the assigned VMM/VMS monitoring center by BFAR, and
transmits the VMM/VMS and ERS data to BFAR servers in a format
supported by BFAR. An MCSP must be capable of delivering information
from all its within-class subscribers to BFAR in a format and protocol
compatible with BFAR equipment and software facilities. The MCSP must
provide:
9.15.1.1. Evidence of the continuous availability of service, information on the
redundancy of terrestrial facilities and network connectivity between
MCSP and BFAR, should be provided.
9.15.1.2. Two-way communications for delivery and acceptance of data from
MCSP to BFAR and back, supporting messages, position reports,
queries and administrative functions.
9.15.1.3. Auto-forwarding or auto-delivery of messages without the need for
retrieval by BFAR (manual retrieval of data by BFAR is also
supported).
9.15.1.4. Geographically transparent communications from BFAR to the MTU
and/or E-MTU such that BFAR seamlessly performs communication
functions without a need to take additional steps to accommodate the
geographic region where the vessel is fishing.
9.15.1.5. Physical servers, both hardware and software, that will receive
VMM/VMS transmissions from MTUs and both VMM/VMS and ERS
transmissions from E-MTUs, and relay the VMM/VMS and s
information to BFAR. These physical servers will be owned and
operated by the MCSP, and must reside in the BFAR VMM/VMS
Center, or other locations required by BFAR.
9.15.1.6. Maintenance of the physical servers owned by the MCSP to ensure
24/7 operations.

9.15.2. Latency at 5 minutes or less (near real time) for 99.9% of transmissions
for two-way messaging under normal conditions between the MCSP and
BFAR VMM/VMS Servers.

9.15.3. Communications between the MCSP and BFAR must be provided along
secure encrypted channels. The MCSP must provide reasonable
mechanisms to prevent:

Page 27 of 33
 9.15.3.1. Tampering or interception, including the reading of passwords and
data.
9.15.3.2. Interception and ‘‘sniffing’’ during transmission from the MCSP to
BFAR via either wireless or terrestrial facilities.
9.15.3.3. Spoofing, whereby one MTU or E-MTU is fraudulently identifying
itself as another MTU or E-MTU
9.15.3.4. Modification of MTU and/or E-MTU identification.
9.15.3.5. Introduction of viruses that may corrupt the messages, transmission,
or the VMM/VMS system.

9.15.4. MCSP must provide advance advisory notices of any planned service
outages and their estimated time for service restoration. MCSP must
provide immediate notification on any unplanned outages and their
estimated time for service restoration.

9.16. Wireless Connectivity

9.16.1. The MCSP shall have the following wireless connectivity features:
9.16.1.1. The wireless network that the MCSP will use e.g. satellite, GSM, or
radio, for its MTU and E-MTU should be equipped with network
redundancies or alternative network types to automatically replace
the primary connection in the event of failure without any manual
intervention in the network. The MCSP must be able to clearly show
the network availability resiliency of the wireless network it uses for
its MTU and E-MTU
9.16.1.2. Geographically transparent communications to and from BFAR and
the MTU and/or E-MTU, such that BFAR seamlessly performs
communication functions without a need to take additional steps to
accommodate the geographic region where the vessel is fishing.
9.16.1.3. Durability and reliability in a marine environment, without signal
degradation or other loss of integrity from adverse meteorological
conditions.

9.16.2. Communications between MCSP and MTU and/or E-MTU must be secure
from tampering or interception, including the reading of passwords and
data. The MCSP must provide reasonable mechanisms to prevent:
9.16.2.1. Interception and ‘‘sniffing’’ during transmission to and from the
MCSP and MTU via either wireless or terrestrial facilities.
9.16.2.2. Spoofing, whereby one MTU is fraudulently identifying itself as
another MTU.
9.16.2.3. Modification of MTU identification.
9.16.2.4. Interference with GMDSS or other safety/distress functionalities.
9.16.2.5. Introduction of viruses that may corrupt the messages, transmission,
or the VMM/VMS system.

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9.17. Customer Service

9.17.1. The MCSP and its designated entities shall provide customer service that
is professional, courteous, and responsive to both BFAR and the fishing
industry.

9.17.2. The MCSP must have security measures, user authentication, request
validation and non-disclosure policies to prevent unauthorized access to
the content of reports or other manual interference. The following
requirements must be included:
9.17.2.1. Prevent unauthorized access to data and configuration information
by MCSP employees and third parties.
9.17.2.2. Authorize the fishing operators to access the MTU and E-MTU for
information such as account info and send/receive personal
messages, provided that the fishing operators will pay for the costs of
those personal messages. The fishing operators’ access to the MTU
and E-MTU should not affect the integrity of VMM/VMS operations.
9.17.2.3. Send emails to its supported MTU or E-MTU, poll or remotely
reconfigure the MTU or E-MTU for position reporting changes upon
BFAR request.
9.17.2.4. Retain an audit trail of actions taken by Customer Service.

9.17.3. MCSP security procedures must support above services whether the
access or configuration change is applied to a single MTU or E-MTU or a
group of MTUs and/or E-MTUs.

9.17.4. Service level agreements must clarify constraints (if any) on the
geographic territory, personnel availability, and escalation procedures for
problem resolution covered by such services.

9.17.5. Assist in the resolution of communications anomalies, such as data loss,

message corruption, and reporting gaps including helping to determine
the cause of the problem.

9.17.6. Provide documented MTU and E-MTU commissioning procedures for

BFAR vessels.

9.17.7. Provide documented account and service activation procedures.

9.17.8. Provide documented and secure MTU and E-MTU configuration strategy
or procedures for vessels monitored singly or grouped by fleet.

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9.17.9. All personally identifying information provided by vessels owners or
other authorized personnel for the purpose of purchase or activation of
MCSP services, or for the participation in any VMM/VMS approved fishery
must be protected from unauthorized disclosure. PII includes, but is not
limited to, names, addresses, telephone numbers, passport numbers,
credit card numbers, vessel names, federal, state, and local
documentation numbers, e-mail addresses and crew lists.

Any information sent electronically to the BFAR must be transmitted by a

secure means that prevents interception, spoofing, or viewing by
unauthorized individuals. Any release of such information must be
requested and approved in writing by the vessel owner or authorized
personnel, or the BFAR. Inadvertent or intentional unauthorized release
of personally identifying information will be grounds for reconsideration
and possible revocation of the type approval for any offending MCSP. Any
inadvertent or intentional unauthorized release of personally identifying
information must be reported to the BFAR as soon as its discovery.

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10. Type Approval Procedure

10.1. Introduction

Section 10 covers only functional testing of the MTU and E-MTU. Other aspects
of certification, such as mechanical tests, electrical tests, and requirements for
support and warranty are checked ‘on paper’ and details must be provided in
accordance with the requirements in other sections of this document.

Applicants for type approval are expected to comply with all other non-
functional type approval requirements prior to submitting the MTU/MCSP or
E-MTU/MCSP combination for functional testing.

Functional testing includes:

7. Testing the over-the-air formats sent and received by the MTU/E-MTU.

8. Testing the interfacing protocol between MCSP and the BFAR.
9. Testing reliability of transmission and reception on an end-to-end basis
(including both MTU/E-MTU and MCSP) with a statistically valid sample
set of transactions.
10. Tests of common operating scenarios, to test that the MTU/E-MTU
and MCSP in combination support all mandatory functions.

10.2. Mandatory and Optional Items

Two types of tests are to be done by BFAR for type approval:

• Mandatory functions must be provided by the MTU, E-MTU or MCSP (as

appropriate). A response referencing appropriate formats or protocols
must be provided.
• Optional tests are not required by the specification, but involve functions
that the VMM/VMS software can use to enhance the performance of the
vessel monitoring system – if corresponding features are available in the
MTU/E-MTU hardware. A response referencing appropriate formats or
protocols may be provided at the option of the applicant. Such features
may include functionality to aid the fishing industry rather than the
BFAR.

10.3. Test Environment

All tests are conducted on the MTU or E-MTU, connected via the specified MCSP,
to a VMM/VMS simulator.

Test accounts and demonstration equipment must be provided by the applicant

to BFAR. No payment will be made for airtime or other network access charges
reasonably incurred during, or in preparation for, the MTU, E-MTU and/or
MCSP testing.

Page 31 of 33
 Unless otherwise agreed, tests will be run at the chosen testing agent of BFAR.
The MTU/E-MTU and or MCSP applicant may witness the testing (when
practical). Any test failures will be referred first to the submitting vendor for
comment/resolution.

A completed test schedule is intended to provide the following outcomes to

BFAR:

10.3.1 VMM/VMS software that operates correctly with the approved MTU
or E-MTU and MCSP.
10.3.2 MCSP: A defined account configuration that is suitable for use with
the VMM/VMS. For example; account settings, DNS entries or IP addresses and
similar parameters that would be necessary to establish the connection to an
MCSP.
10.3.3 MTU/E-MTU: Configuration settings, scripts or applications which
enable the MTU/E-MTU to perform in a manner compliant with the type
approval requirements.

Any changes to items 10.3.2 and/or 10.3.3 above e.g. the introduction of new
Satellite Ground Station software or new versions of an MTU/E-MTU must be
backwards compatible with the tested configuration. If this is not possible then
re-certification is necessary.

The procedure is representative of the functions defined within the type

approval requirements; however, it cannot cover all possible uses of the
equipment or system. Consequently, applicants should be prepared to
demonstrate any additional test scenarios that are consistent with the type
approval requirements.

10.4. End-to-End Testing Methodology

Several functions require support by both the MTU/E-MTU and the MCSP,
therefore it is understood by BFAR that different communication classes may
perform a specific function with differing demarcation points between the
MTU/E-MTU and MCSP.

To address this, all tests are conducted in an end-to-end environment with the
combination of MTU/E-MTU and MCSP tested simultaneously. A test is
successful if the MTU/E-MTU and MCSP, in combination, are capable of
performing the function defined within the type approval requirements.

10.5. Test Schedule

Testing is expected to a cooperative process between the BFAR, their chosen

testing agent and the applicant. Failure to provide adequate cooperation may
result in BFAR ceasing the test process.

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 The template at Appendix 2 should be completed by the submitting MTU, E-
MTU, or MCSP applicant. It must include references to documentation or
formats. This document should be completed and returned to BFAR. Any
referenced documentation (e.g. API documents or similar) should be attached,
preferably in electronic form, to the response. The checklist provided at
Appendix 3 should be completed and returned with the application for type
approval.

Note:

This copy is an exclusive draft of the BFAR on the Type Approval. For comments,
suggestions and further clarifications on the content, kindly send an email to
[email protected].

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