tool enabling fishing authorities to cross reference VMS positional data with other sources of positional data such as electronic logbooks; • Separate access to communication services in the device, for other on-board systems, which as a minimum allow an on-board system using any UK fishing authority approved E-logbook Software to transmit E-logbook reports to, and receive acknowledgements from the UK fishing authorities. Tunisia Tunisian fisheries department have developed a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) based on GPS position measurement and INMARSAT-C satellite communications. Tunisian's VMS solution provides pertinent information on the fishing fleet activities that help the Fisheries Monitoring Center (FMC) to manage the fishing vessels and control the living sea resources and fishing productions. United States In the U.S., national fisheries management is under the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Fisheries Service. There may also be state fisheries regulators. USA has a nationwide VMS monitoring a total of approximately 4.500 vessels based on the software. Nationally-defined Fisheries VMS At the national level, the goals include: Days at sea Electronic logbooks (at-sea catch reporting of species of interest) Area closures based on total allowable catch Spatial analysis of catch Measure compliance with restricted fishing areas, both domestic and international Area-specific quota management Measure compliance with EEZ boundaries by foreign vessels operating under settlement conditions Northeast Region This region consists of the Northeast Region includes marine waters off U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina. Approximately 600 vessels are under VMS, with growth expected to 2500. VMS, operational since 1998, has been a significant tool in detecting trespass into closed areas by scallop and multispecies vessels, Days-at-Sea (DAS) violations, and fish landings that exceed trip limits (particularly in the cod and general category scallop fisheries). Numerous catch seizures and closed area violation prosecutions have been made solely from VMS data. VMS is a basic tool in calculating DAS for the multispecies or DAS fisheries. Whenever a VMS fails to transmit an hourly function, it will be charged a DAS, unless the preponderance of evidence demonstrates that the failure to transmit was due to an unavoidable malfunction or disruption of the transmission, or was not at sea. Fisheries of interest include: Scallop (dredge) Northeast multispecies (trawl, gillnet, hook gear) Monkfish (trawl, gillnet) Herring (trawl) Cod Southeast Region The Southeast Region includes marine waters off U.S. states of North Carolina,