Power, Control, and Costs: Designing Electronic Fishery Information Systems That Increase Economic and Social Benefits

Electronic fishery information systems (eFIS) are making slow inroads in supporting “real time” and “near real time” management, science, business and marketing.  The relatively slow adoption is surprising given the rapidly rising increase in the need for real time information to address sustainability mandates, quota tracking responsibilities, catch share requirements, and market-related product traceability.  Voluntary adoption of eFIS by industry has occurred when real time information was critical for understanding stock and harvest patterns and avoiding bycatch that could prematurely shut down a fishery. In other cases it has been used to reduce costs associated with requirements for fishery observation.  Although eFIS is being used by industry for other science, management, and marketing purposes, many of these systems are supported by subsidy.  This paper analyzes reasons for the slow adoption of eFIS, discusses alternative business and financial models, and looks at the long term role of regulatory and management incentives in accelerating adoption of eFIS.