We’re excited to be Canada’s first nationally certified electronic logbook (ELOG) provider for lobster fisheries. We’ve been working closely with the DFO to fine tune our FisheriesApp electronic logbooks and ensure they meet both the DFO’s requirements and fishermen’s needs. Being first to market with this certification is a milestone for Vericatch.
The timing of this certification is important. By 2024 the DFO will require licensed fishermen to switch from paper logbooks to ELOGS, but fishers can start using our electronic logbooks immediately before the crunch is on to fully discard paper logbooks. This will allow them to become familiar with the technology and the additional benefits ELOGS offer.
Lobster fishermen can download and use our ELOGS right away, test them for free, and get used to the technology. We’re offering our ELOGS starting at just $60 for the first year to allow users to test and try the functionality at a lower price. It’s a small investment that will have a big impact.
“We’re excited to be the first national fisheries software in Canadian history to be certified by the DFO,” says Max Vanry, Senior Product Manager. “We’ve been fine tuning our software for over a decade, we’ve met the DFO’s requirements, and we’re ready for lobster fishers to start using our ELOGS immediately. What makes Vericatch unique is that we don’t just offer compliance reporting, our goal is to make tools that are useful to fishermen beyond just regulatory requirements.”
Why the switch to ELOGS?
Tracking data on paper can be frustrating. Fishermen may need to re-enter data into paper logbooks, and paper logbooks can get misplaced. Plus, mailing the logbooks into the DFO can be a hassle. And if you get flagged by the DFO for missing or incorrect data, correcting or updating the information is a pain. Electronic logbooks streamline data entry and record and report data digitally to fulfill the DFO’s requirements and keep you compliant.
Additionally, with paper logbooks, fishermen don’t have ongoing access to the data they’re collecting. But Vericatchs’ ELOGS allow fishermen to view their current and historical data in graph and table form so they can make better business decisions.
ELOGS also makes data that’s been submitted to the DFO more accessible, which will have far-reaching, positive benefits for the Canadian fishing industry.
Vericatch’s core FisheriesApp electronic logbook functionality
Vericatch’s FisheriesApp electronic logbooks have been developed in constant consultation with fishermen for over a decade. We wanted to build something that does the required tracking and meets compliance needs while adding value to the industry. That’s why we’ve developed ELOGS that are easy to use and:
- Don’t need to be connected to the internet at any point of your journey except when you submit your catch – so you can collect data wherever you are at any point in your trip
- Save time and frustration by automatically filling out information based on your previous entries and allowing you to report from your phone or tablet
- Avoid the need to store and mail old paper logbooks while offering access to historic records and data as well as data submission review and validation tools
- Increase collective bargaining power with data visualization tools like charts, graphs, and bubble mapping that give you the information you need to prove compliance and optimize your business
- Are inherently flexible – meeting a multitude of needs and are highly configurable to fulfill all your reporting obligations
- Offer flexible pricing starting at just $60/year
We know that connectivity can be an issue for fishermen, so we can’t stress enough that we felt it very important to design ELOGS that offer a valid online/offline option that doesn’t impact functionality. Our ELOGS are the only ones on the Canadian market that do so.
“Vericatch’s anytime anywhere data submission capability makes reporting simple and efficient.”
Brent Parkinson, Ocean King
Take things to the next level with our ELOGs
We offer three levels of ELOG functionality, all of which provide graphs and data visualizations to help you better understand and optimize your business.
Our Basic ELOG is $60/year and tracks everything you track in a paper logbook but offers valuable data insights. It’s perfect if you want to be compliant, quickly adopt the new ELOG technology, and keep on fishing.
Our Pro ELOG at $99/year includes everything you get with our Basic ELOG but offers substantially more data insights. It’s our most popular offering and is best suited for professional fisher harvesters with multiple licenses.
And our Premium ELOG for $120/year is designed for those who are interested in precision fishing tools and approach their business analytically.
Why not give our ELOGS a trial? It’s free to get started and test the technology and you’ll be able to start submitting your data to the DFO soon. We’re here to help you get started, and we look forward to your feedback so if you have any questions or need more information just reach out to Mark from our team.
