Developing electronic logbook (ELOG) client applications

Electronic logbook (ELOG) client applications (apps) are developed by third party providers and validated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

The purpose of ELOG apps is to allow fish harvesters to more easily record and submit information about their catches to DFO, even while they are still out on the water. This benefits fish harvesters by making their reporting process more efficient and accurate. Having access to real-time data from harvesters also helps the department to better monitor and manage fish stocks.

ELOGs offer third party providers a unique opportunity to generate revenue, form valuable partnerships, and contribute to sustainability and innovation.

National ELOG technical packages are available to third party providers to support the development of ELOG apps. It should be noted by providers that all ELOG data collected by their applications shall be stored solely on Canadian servers as to not subject harvester data to foreign laws. In addition, providers must have the legal capacity to enter into an agreement with DFO prior to their app being qualified.

ELOG client application qualification process

All ELOG apps must meet DFO's Standard for development of electronic logbook client applications. The Standard was created by a technical committee that included representatives from the fishing industry and information technology companies.

The following qualification process guide outlines the steps that third party providers must follow to submit their app to DFO for approval. Only ELOG apps that follow the qualification process and are approved by DFO are published online as a qualified product available for fish harvester use.

Process guide

1. Enrollment
   1. To initiate this process, a potential Provider must submit a Letter of Interest to the National ELOG inbox (DFO.NATELOGSqual-JBEqualNAT.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca). In their letter, the potential Provider has to write a brief summary of themselves and their organization, as well as provide some key information, including:
      1. General business information such as: Name of legal entity, main business address, point of contact, etc.
      2. A brief description of their organization, any past experience in application development, and/or any familiarity with Canadian fisheries.
   2. The submitted Letter of Interest will be reviewed by the ELOG team.
   3. Providers are then notified of their enrollment and asked to acknowledge certain terms and conditions related to the ELOG program. When a Provider acknowledges the terms and conditions, the ELOG team will grant the Provider access to the Developers' Toolbox where all necessary development documents are stored.
2. Development
   1. Once the Provider has reviewed the development documents and is ready to start, the Provider can contact the ELOG team (DFO.NATELOGSqual-JBEqualNAT.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca) to request test data and an ELOG key, which will give the Provider access to the test environment.
   2. The Provider may contact the ELOGS team (DFO.NATELOGSqual-JBEqualNAT.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca) with questions and concerns during the development stage.
   3. It should be noted that DFO may issue changes to technical packages at any time based on urgent requirements or ministerial direction. If/when this occurs, DFO will inform the Provider and publish the updated technical package on the Developers' Toolbox.
3. Submission
   1. Once the Provider believes their required documents package conforms with the Standard and other development documents, they may submit the package to the ELOG team (DFO.NATELOGSqual-JBEqualNAT.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca) for qualification. Required forms are reviewed by the ELOG team first as they are prerequisites to any other form being qualified.
   2. Fishery specific forms must be submitted to the ELOG team (DFO.NATELOGSqual-JBEqualNAT.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca) in their entirety and independent from one another. Providers are also required to give DFO a demo/test account of their app as part of their submission.
   3. If DFO encounters any errors when using the test account or when reviewing the technical submission, the required document package will be returned to the Provider for corrections.
4. Qualification
   1. Once the Provider's submission has passed technical review, Providers are asked to sign the Agreement to Govern the Provider's Application Collection and Submission to DFO's National Catch and Effort Repository. Once signed, the client app is considered qualified and will be listed as a qualified application on DFO's website for harvesters.
   2. Once the client application is live, DFO conducts ongoing quality control to ensure the app continues to meet the Standard. If issues are found, it is essential that the Provider address the issue or face possible revocation of their qualification status.

DFO updates to existing technical packages

Technical package updates are possible during the year. When this occurs, DFO will publish updated technical packages to the Developers' Toolbox. Scheduled changes will take into consideration minimizing impact on harvester use of products and typical Provider development cycles. When technical packages are updated, the Provider will be required to update their app accordingly and submit their updated version for re-qualification. The Provider will be required to have their updated version qualified within the given timeframe established by DFO or face potential revocation of their qualification.

Provider updates to existing qualified apps

Once a Provider has a qualified product, they may want to make changes either to a given Fishery Specific module or to their app as a whole. In order for DFO to ensure that client apps continue to meet the Standard, Providers may be required to submit their product(s) for re-qualification. DFO decides whether a Provider needs to resubmit their product(s) based on if the change(s) to the app or module(s) impacts a critical element tested during the initial qualification period.

In order to enable a quick decision, Providers are asked to submit a change request form that details their proposed changes if the change(s) impact(s) one of the following critical elements:

• Electronic Logbook System XML Structure;
• Data recording;
• Data group closure;
• Default values;
• Generating a unique logbook identifier;
• Language;
• Logbook verification;
• Coordinates (latitude/longitude);
• Start of trip;
• Data transmission; and
• Security.

Once the form is submitted, DFO reviews and informs the Provider if they need to resubmit for qualification. If a Provider is required to resubmit, their current qualified products remain qualified and available for harvesters to use.

Qualification checklist for providers

The following checklist summarizes the overall qualification process, so that Providers do not miss any steps:

• Submit a Letter of Interest
• Acknowledge terms and conditions stated by DFO
• Submit required forms
• Submit fishery specific form
• Provided a demo/test account to ELOG team
• Address any updates/fixes in submission if identified by DFO
• Resubmit package (if needed)
• Sign the Agreement to be listed as a qualified Provider
• Continue supporting users
• Continue updating/fixing app as needed

We look forward to reviewing your Letter of Interest to determine if you are a good fit for the ELOG program!