SIS Monitor - the designated electronic monitoring system enabling automated reporting and monitoring of offshore dredging activity
Electronic Monitoring System - SIS Monitor
The Crown Estate owns the non-hydrocarbon mineral rights of the UK Continental Shelf. Marine aggregate extraction currently takes place from 80 licences on this seabed. The Crown Estate acts solely as a landowner and monitors dredging
operations within its licence areas.
This monitoring is accomplished by the use of the SIS Monitor Electronic Monitoring System. The EMS was first introduced on 1 January 1993, and was installed on all dredging vessels operating on Crown Estate licensed dredging areas. An upgraded system was introduced on 1 July 2006.
An EMS computer is located on the bridge of each
dredging vessel operating on Crown Estate seabed
The computer receives electrical signals from various
sensors throughout the ship. These sensors monitor
the status of equipment such as the draghead and
associated machinery which need to be utilised for
dredging to occur. The EMS is set up in such a way so as to trigger electrical signals when the sensors indicate that the vessel is loading.
When the vessel begins loading the EMS records the
position using a GPS signal, along with the date and time. In this way a detailed log of all dredging activity is built up on the EMS PC.
Once a week this dredging data is submitted to the offshore managing agent of The Crown Estate via wireless email.
"Since the introduction of the SIS Monitor Electronic Monitoring System over one and a quarter million kilometres of dredging tracks have been analysed."
