Nelson Mandela University's (NMU's) FishForce Academy has developed a mobile game to help law enforcement officers in the fisheries sector. The game features a virtual simulation environment of inspecting a fishing vessel to ensure compliance with the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).

The game was designed to focus mainly on bridge inspections and specifically on the skills required to thoroughly inspect key documents, such as permits, logs, registrations and transshipments, says NMU FishForce Academy COO Michael de Lange.

“The aim is to leverage a game-based education model, or gamification, which will allow users to learn through experience and the use of a virtual environment, while leading them to approach problem-solving through critical thinking,” he explains.

FishForce Academy has also been able to touch on a wider range of topics that are relevant and relatable to a typical fishery control officer, such as bridge inspection, crew interviews, basic gear inspection, hold inspection, evidence of blast fishing, signs of human trafficking, identification of fraud, drugs and weapons, De Lange notes.

The PSMA came into effect in 2016 and specifically targets illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by preventing such vessels from using ports and landing their catches.

FishForce Academy developed the game for the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), and the Marine and Ocean Crime Priority Crime Committee (Operation Phakisa) to benefit government law enforcement agencies, he adds.

“We have handed the game over to the DFFE and Operation Phakisa to allow them to identify users to ensure targeted access to derive proper data analytics, as well as to monitor the users’ performance and their learning journeys,” De Lange says.

The game was developed by a company called SeaMonster, based in Cape Town, and the music was developed by Madibaz Radio technical manager and Mandela University alumnus Ngasiirwe Katushabe.

The FishForce Academy, which is the first ever in Africa, was funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and launched in 2016 in line with NMU's strategic decision to develop a strong marine and maritime institutional focus.

Over the past six years, NMU has established itself as a world leader in the training of fisheries law enforcement agencies and in research and advocacy aimed at combating organised crime in the fisheries environment, the university says.