The Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) is to be fitted on all offshore fishing vessels operating in Myanmar territorial waters, said Deputy Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister U Hla Kyaw. Arrangements are being made to the install the VMS on all local fishing boats. Details on implementation and procedures will be announced later, he said on June 18 at Amyotha Hluttaw session. He was replying to a question raised by Tanintharyi constituency No 8 MP, U Okkar Min, who asked whether there was a plan to install the VMS in accordance with international standards. The VMS is an integrated system used in the fishing industry to provide weather forecast data to fishing boats, warn about storms, track and curb illegal fishing activities, to enrich fish resources and to develop offshore fisheries. The Fisheries Department has tried to install the VMS system on inshore and offshore fishing vessels since 2012 to prevent illegal fishing, said U Hla Kyaw. He also said that VMS installation is compulsory. U Hla Kyaw said that a pilot project to test the system was installed on 47 vessels owned by the Fisheries Department. Foreign vessels with official licenses and on joint ventures have been allowed to operate in Myanmar waters only they have had the VMS installed aboard. The VMS project is joint effort between the Ministry Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation cooperated and the French Development Agency (AFD) which began in 2014. The Myanmar Monitoring Control and Surveys department (MMCS) will be the first agency to implement the syatem. Fishing experts from the AFD visited Myanmar in 2015 and conducted a feasibility study. In March 2017, the Fisheries Department signed a consultation contract with FNS Co and two experts from the company conducted a feasibility study for MMCS between May 21 and Jun 10 with assistance from AFD. U Hla Kyaw said, When we receive the project feasibility report, detailed negotiations, including costing and funding from AFD with low-interest loans will be discussed, the Deputy Minister said.