The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has published an ERS* Data Amendments form which can be accessed by visiting https://www.sfpa.ie/What-We-Do/Sea-Fisheries-Information/Vessel-Electronic-Monitoring-VMS-ERS/ERS-Data-Amendments
An Owner or Master can seek to have data entries in their electronic logbook reviewed and amended, for example; in the event that data was incorrectly entered. Such a review may be undertaken by the Senior Port Officer of the vessel’s home port where the Senior Port Officer deems this to be a genuine data entry error. To request a review, the requester is asked to fill out the Electronic Recording System Data Amendment Requests Form and email it to the relevant home port of the vessel.
Before emailing the form, the requester is asked to ensure that:
- The original email address used in the registration process is used to send the form to the relevant Home Port of the vessel.
- The registered owner submits the form with the consent and signature of the Master at the time of the trip.
- Where there is group ownership all signatures are included on the form.
- Where there is company ownership it is the Managing Director who submits the form.
The result of the data amendment review will be communicated to the vessel owner, who will receive notification via email to the vessel’s registered email address. The onus is on the vessel owner to notify the Master at the time of the trip in question of the results of the data amendment review. Amendments should be completed within five days of port approval.
Masters are reminded of their legal obligation to ensure the accuracy of data recorded in the vessel’s logbook. The submission of a request for a review of logbook data, and any consequent amendment to the data, does not absolve the Master from liability for inaccurate data entries made. The amendment of data is without prejudice to any inspection or enforcement actions, including, but not limited to, prosecution proceedings, relating to data entries made.
Ends
Further Information
*ERS is a complex system for recording, reporting, processing, storing, and transmitting fisheries data (catch, landing, sales and transhipment) in accordance with EU Legislation. The key element of the ERS is the electronic logbook. The electronic logbook is used to record and transmit securely, details of fishing operations.