MCS (Monitoring, Control and Surveillance)

Monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) is the operational system that enforces fisheries rules across the chain of activity, the practical means by which conservation measures are made real. Monitoring tracks fishing activity and catch through logbooks, observers, and electronic reporting; control sets the licensing, gear, area, and quota rules; surveillance detects and deters violations through vessel monitoring systems, AIS, patrols, and inspections. RFMOs and the FAO PSMA rely on MCS to combat IUU fishing, supported by tools such as VMS, electronic monitoring cameras, transshipment controls, and port inspections feeding into vessel records and sanction lists.