Malta has partnered with Madrid, Spain-based technology company Satlink as the Mediterranean nation works to unify and digitize its management of commercial and recreational fishing.
“This project reflects a clear institutional commitment to integrated fisheries governance, and we are proud of the trust placed in Satlink to contribute to this transformation,” Satlink President Faustino Velasco said in a release.
The Maltese government is instituting a new national platform called the Fisheries Information Integrated System (FIIS) designed to integrate all fisheries data in one place.
“The FIIS is not just a digital project. It is a national reform aimed at supporting our fishers, protecting our seas, and strengthening good governance,” Maltese Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries Alicia Bugeja said in a statement. “With it, everything will be connected, secure, and accessible in real time. Our vision is clear: modern tools for fishers, less bureaucracy, stronger sustainability, and greater respect for the people whose livelihood depends on the sea.”
According to Satlink, FIIS will integrate nine independent systems into a single cloud-based platform, which will include vessel registries, vessel monitoring systems (VMS), electronic logbooks, inspection tools, port weighing and sales systems, subsidies and public aid, and European Union reporting. The company claims the project will make Malta “the first European country to operate a fully integrated national fisheries management ecosystem.”
“The FIIS sets a new standard for how digital systems can support public authorities and the fishing sector within one national framework,” Velasco said.
As the project’s technology partner, Satlink will design, develop, and deploy FIIS, including installing more than 700 VMS units on Maltese fishing vessels.
“We will be transforming the operation of our digital systems,” Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Director General Bjorn Azzopardi said in a release. “From nine different systems, we will be moving to a new, holistic system. This will greatly improve the efficiency of the data we use with fishermen for schemes, for other benefits, and the data we communicate to European institutions.”
