When you select an ‘Apparent fishing effort’ layer within the side panel, every grid cell on the map is displaying the intensity of apparent fishing activity as recognized by our algorithm. To explore other types of human activity, select the ‘Vessel presence’ layer on the left sidebar.
Is every point I see on the map fishing activity? Read More »
As the FAO and its Member States develop voluntary measures on transshipment, experience from the ground informs four key recommendations This year, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and its Member States will work to develop and endorse voluntary guidelines for the regulation, monitoring and control of transshipment. Transshipment—the transfer of catch
Contributions from the Ground Can Strengthen New Transshipment Guidelines Read More »
Newly launched portal uses fishing vessel transparency as a tool to transform marine protection in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region June 5 is the international day for the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. First marked in 2018, this day was originally proposed by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
Technology for Transparency: Fishing and marine management in the Mediterranean region Read More »
Innovative techniques for monitoring fishing activity can help protect marine biodiversity Fishing is woven into the social, economic and cultural fabric of the Mediterranean. For millennia, it’s been a way of life for those residing in coastal communities, while seafood itself has played a fundamental role in local diets. Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black
Understanding the different types of vessels that operate on the ocean is a key step towards successful monitoring of human activity—cargo ships have different social and environmental implications than fishing vessels and the impacts of different types of fishing vessels, like trawlers and drifting longlines, can differ as well. Learn more about Global Fishing Watch
What are the different vessel classes used by Global Fishing Watch? Read More »
A new study published by the scientific journal Nature is the first to quantify the potential release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the ocean from trawling and finds that trawling is pumping hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 into the ocean every year. Juan Mayorga, marine scientist and study coauthor, talks about the groundbreaking
The Overlooked Impact of Bottom Trawling Read More »
In September of 2016, Leigh Torres, associate professor at Oregon State University, and I attended the 6th International Albatross and Petrel Conference. Somehow, amid all of the science that filled the week, Leigh first saw the Global Fishing Watch fishing map. She shouted with joy. She immediately envisioned a study to assess interactions between seabirds
Close encounters between albatross and fishing vessels in the North Pacific Read More »
Global Fishing Watch’s updated fishing data offers new insight into the presence and behavior of the global fishing fleet In 2018, we published the first-ever global assessment of commercial fishing activity in Science. We tracked over 60,000 fishing vessels between 2012 and 2016, and estimated that fishing occurred on more than half of the ocean.Â
Half the Ocean: Updating The Global Footprint of Fisheries Read More »
Improvements to our fishing effort data and vessel classification can help promote transparency of human activity on the world’s oceans In 2018, Global Fishing Watch released its first public fishing effort data that included almost 142 million hours of fishing from over 73,000 unique maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) numbers. The dataset, spanning 2012-2016, represented
New Fishing Data Paves the Way for Improved Analysis Read More »
One year into the pandemic that triggered turmoil around the world, an analysis of Global Fishing Watch data sheds light on shifts in global fishing activity As the world marks the March 11th anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fishing sector—like many industries—continues to feel the effects. With our
COVID-19 Brings Unmatched Downturn in Global Fishing Activity Read More »
Countries embrace transparency-based strategy to promote fair and effective ocean governance The 34th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Committee on Fisheries (COFI 34) was held virtually last week. Front and center of the agenda was the need to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a practice which accounts
Latin America Highlights Transparency as Essential in Tackling Illegal Fishing Read More »
Oceana calls on U.S. government to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the US seafood supply chain The largest ocean-focused advocacy group, Oceana, released results from a new poll revealing that 83 percent of Americans agree that all seafood should be traceable from the fishing boat to the dinner plate, and 77 percent support
New poll reveals demand for seafood traceability and public vessel tracking Read More »
On February 29, 2016, Argentinian authorities approached the HUA LI 8, a squid jigger flagged to China that had been observed fishing illegally within Argentina’s waters.
Following Forced Labor in the World’s Fishing Fleets Read More »
New collaboration between Global Fishing Watch and Human Rights at Sea aims to ensure policy and satellite technology solutions are aligned and information is available to all stakeholders The International Labour Organization of the United Nations estimates that 16 million people were in forced labor in the private economy in 2016, with 11 percent across
Protecting Human Rights at Sea Starts with Access to Information Read More »
Costa Rica and Ecuador will join the Global Fishing Watch platform, furthering accountability of fishing activity in the region A new era of transparency in fisheries management is emerging in Latin America. Since 2018, Peru, Chile, and Panama and more recently, Costa Rica and Ecuador, have begun to adapt the orthodox, and not always successful,
