Fisheries Authority on Track to Launch IrieFINS Platform This Month

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) is on track to launch its online licensing and registration system dubbed ‘IrieFINS’ in December.

Once persons are engaged in fishing, a licence is needed for both the individual and the vessel.

Speaking in a recent interview with JIS News, Principal Director for the Fisheries Compliance Licensing and Statistics Division of the NFA, Dr. Zahra Oliphant, said that the online registration will enable persons to apply for licences to fish, through the use of their mobile devices.

“That doesn’t mean we are going to stop going out, because a lot of our fishers are [older]. We have to now transition and still help… so we’ll go out in the field and assist them with their registration,” she noted.

The requirement for a licence to fish excludes persons fishing from the seashore or riverbank using a single line.

In addition to making the licensing process easier, by reducing paperwork, Dr. Oliphant said the online platform will also enable persons to track their applications.

“When they apply, they don’t have to worry about what’s happening with it (application). They can log in and… see the status – is it with the licensing manager, is it with the licensing officer for vetting – and when it is ready, they’ll also be notified by whatever means that they selected, whether it is through e-mail or SMS notification, to say that your licence is available,” she pointed out.

Applicants will get a digital licence and a physical copy will also be printed and dispatched.

“Persons can choose the suboffice they want to collect it from and it will be [sent] there,” Dr. Oliphant said.

The NFA, in partnership with the Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is working on a communication campaign to sensitise persons about the existence and proper use of the platform.

“They do have a lot of things planned to push the IrieFINS so that persons can see and be well apprised of what’s happening. The IrieFINS communication campaign, we hope, will reach all sectors of society, and that way the recreational fishers will know that they need to get licensed,” Dr. Oliphant said.

“We’re hoping, too, that through this platform we will be able to capture recreational fishers. There are persons who, for example, may be invited out on the weekends by friends who own boats to go fishing. That’s illegal because you need a licence. So, there are persons in society who are in breach of the law, who are not fully aware because they really think it’s okay to just jump on a boat and go fishing when they feel like it,” she pointed out.

For details on licensing and registration, persons can contact the NFA at 876-948-9014.