Integrating autonomous weighing, declaration and traceability workflows in small-scale fisheries: toward a hybrid declarative-observational compliance architecture

Introduction:
Recent amendments to the EU fisheries control framework, including Regulation (EU) 2023/2842, introduce enhanced requirements for catch weighing, landing declarations, and traceability. Small-scale fisheries (SSF), particularly those operating through dispersed and infrastructure-limited landing sites, may face significant operational challenges in implementing these obligations using conventional workflows. This study explores the potential role of integrated digital landing infrastructure in supporting practical compliance implementation within SSF environments.

Methods:
A conceptual-operational analysis was conducted based on fisheries landing workflows, regulatory requirements, and the proposed architecture of a modular Landing Declaration Kiosk (LDK) system. The approach integrates autonomous or semi-autonomous weighing, digital declaration support, traceability data generation, operator identification, and workflow logging. Particular attention was given to the interaction between declarative data entered by operators and observational data generated through sensors and automated processes.

Results:
The analysis identified several potential advantages of integrated declarative-observational workflows, including improved consistency between weighing and declaration processes, enhanced traceability data continuity, reduced administrative fragmentation, and increased auditability of landing operations. The proposed architecture also demonstrated potential suitability for geographically dispersed SSF landing environments through modular deployment and interoperability with vessel monitoring and sensor systems.

Conclusions:
Hybrid declarative-observational compliance architectures may provide a practical pathway for implementing emerging fisheries control and traceability requirements in SSF. Integration of weighing, declaration support, and operational observation into unified landing workflows could contribute to more scalable, transparent, and operationally feasible fisheries compliance systems.