Frequently Asked Questions
Global Fishing Watch offers an interactive online platform that displays fishing activity and other vessel data and tools to help you monitor global fishing patterns. Whether you’re looking for general facts about our organization or specialized information about how to use our platform, we can help you – start by searching below.
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- What is an API?
- What is an API Access Token?
- How do I get access to Global Fishing Watch APIs?
- Where can I find detailed technical documentation about Global Fishing Watch APIs?
- Can I use Global Fishing Watch APIs for commercial purposes?
- What VMS and AIS data can I get from Global Fishing Watch APIs?
- When should I use an API?
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- What is a carrier vessel?
- What data is used to create the carrier vessel portal?
- How current is the data in the carrier vessel portal?
- Does the carrier vessel portal show all carrier vessels operating on the world’s ocean?
- How is the authorization data in the carrier vessel portal identified?
- What are the main carrier vessel portal functions?
- What is an encounter in the carrier vessel portal?
- What is a loitering event?
- How are port visits in the carrier vessel portal defined?
- Who will benefit from the carrier vessel portal?
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- How do I view different types of fishing vessel data? (AIS, VMS, VIIRS, SAR)
- How do I view fishing activity in/around MPAs, EEZs, or High Seas areas?
- How can I interpret night light detections (VIIRS) data in the map?
- Which browser can I use to access the Global Fishing Watch map?
- What are the filters and how do I use them?
- How do I search for fishing activity within a certain time range?
- How do I search for a specific vessel?
- Why can’t I find a vessel I am searching for?
- How do I upload my own polygon or points reference layer?
- How do I create private workspaces and add environmental datasets?
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- Where does Global Fishing Watch get the data from?
- Is every point I see on the map fishing activity?
- Is the information I’m seeing in the Global Fishing Watch map real-time?
- How can I obtain Global Fishing Watch data or code?
- Can I download raw AIS data?
- Can I download raw VMS data?
- Will this tip off the fishing industry to where all the fish are?
- Does the Global Fishing Watch map include small scale fishing?
- Why are vessel names sometimes garbled or blank?
- What are the different vessel classes used by Global Fishing Watch?
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- What is the significance of the EEZs?
- How do I view fishing activity in/around MPAs, EEZs, or High Seas areas?
- Why am I not seeing certain marine protected areas in the Global Fishing Watch map?
- Why is there fishing in an area marked as an MPA?
- Why are there large circles in which there is no apparent fishing?
- How do I upload my own polygon or points reference layer?
- How do I upload my own polygon, region or points reference layer?
- What are the sources of Global Fishing Watch reference layers?