New research harnesses AI and satellite imagery to reveal the expanding footprint of human activity at sea
Study reveals 75 percent of the world’s industrial fishing vessels are hidden from public view WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new study published today in the
Our work
Fishing Vessel Transparency is Part of the Solution for Nature Protection in the Mediterranean and Black Sea
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
Bridging the Gap between Gulf-based Fisheries and the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry
Analysis of artificial reefing areas will bring marine life benefits to the Gulf of Mexico. Opinions surrounding the oil industry are dynamic, complex and often controversial. However, there is one viewpoint that almost all fishers can agree on: some of
The Overlooked Impact of Bottom Trawling
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
Transparency of Transshipment: Using Satellite Data to Reveal Meet-ups on the High Seas
New study reveals global footprint of support vessels involved in rendezvous at sea. Every day thousands of fishing vessels roam the world’s ocean, combing the most lucrative fisheries for catch to bring back to market
Close encounters between albatross and fishing vessels in the North Pacific
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
Half the Ocean: Updating The Global Footprint of Fisheries
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
New Fishing Data Paves the Way for Improved Analysis
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
COVID-19 Brings Unmatched Downturn in Global Fishing Activity
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
Latin America Highlights Transparency as Essential in Tackling Illegal Fishing
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
New poll reveals demand for seafood traceability and public vessel tracking
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
A 2020 Analysis: Detecting the Dark Fleets in North Korea and Russia
Satellite technology reveals decline in illegal fishing activity in North Korean and Russian waters compared to previous years In July 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was sweeping across the globe, Global Fishing Watch published a groundbreaking scientific paper revealing one
Following Forced Labor in the World’s Fishing Fleets
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.