MMO to Resume I-VMS Rules for Under-12m Fishing Boats

In plain terms, the Marine Management Organisation is getting ready to restart I-VMS enforcement for licensed under-12 metre English fishing vessels. According to the MMO update published on GOV.UK, more than 92% of eligible boats had been registered for a replacement Nemo device by July 2026, and almost half of those devices had already been installed. That matters because the recent pause was never meant to be permanent. It was a temporary response while the system was put right, and the MMO’s latest message is that normal compliance checks are expected to return as the remaining installations are completed over the coming weeks.

If you are new to this story, I-VMS stands for inshore vessel monitoring system. It is the equipment that allows smaller fishing boats to send position data to the UK Vessel Monitoring System Hub, so regulators can see where vessels are operating and whether the rules are being followed. For many readers, that can sound dry or overly technical. But the basic idea is straightforward. Larger vessels have long faced closer monitoring, and I-VMS is meant to bring clearer and more consistent oversight to the under-12 metre fleet as well.

The reason enforcement slowed was not that the policy had been dropped. The problem was technical. Devices made by SC2 stopped transmitting data to the UK VMS Hub, which meant some boats could no longer meet the requirement in the way the system expected. That is why Nemo devices are now being installed in their place. If we step back, this matters because enforcement only works fairly when the equipment itself is working properly. Pausing action while replacement devices were rolled out was, in effect, a way of avoiding punishment for a failure that vessel owners did not fully control.

The MMO is now urging any licence holder who still has not bought an approved I-VMS device to act quickly. To meet the rules, a vessel must carry an MMO-approved device that can transmit data to the UK VMS Hub, and the organisation says it has written to affected owners with information on updating records or purchasing a unit. If you are waiting for an installation appointment, there is also a practical step that matters. Vessel owners are being told to charge the Nemo device for 48 hours before the appointment and to check that the green light is showing. Until then, the device should be kept safely in its original packaging.

There is also a cost and maintenance side to this, which is often where a technical policy becomes real for working people. CLS UK will contact vessel owners before any airtime payment is requested, and airtime contracts or renewals are expected to begin once normal I-VMS enforcement resumes. If a Nemo device appears faulty, the MMO says owners should contact CLS UK as soon as possible, even if the warranty period has expired. Remedial work or a replacement device may still be considered, but it will be judged case by case. So the practical advice here is simple: do not leave a possible fault unreported.

According to the MMO, I-VMS data supports fisheries management by giving a more accurate picture of where boats are fishing. That helps regulators apply rules more fairly across the fleet, and it can also support evidence gathering when fishing activity is displaced and compensation needs to be assessed. **What this means:** this is not only a story about a tracking device. It is also about who gets counted, how decisions are evidenced, and how smaller vessels fit into a system of regulation that can shape access, accountability and income. If you have questions, the MMO says its dedicated I-VMS helpline is 01900 508 618, available Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm, and the email address is ivms@marinemanagement.org.uk. Further guidance and frequently asked questions are available on GOV.UK.