This paper summarises the utility of transponders for fisheries management and compares the two most commonly used satellite-linked systems, with particular reference to their costs and specifics of their application in high-latitude areas. Confidentiality requirements and legal aspects of the use of data on vessel position and movement are also mentioned. A possible configuration for a CCAMLR vessel-tracking system is proposed, based on the use Immarsat-C transponders linked with Global Positioning System (GPS) positioning satellites.