fishing activity

New Techniques Reveal Fishing Vessel Identities in the Dark of Night

New Global Fishing Watch technology merges nighttime images with GPS datasets to observe vessels not broadcasting their positions When the sun sets, human activity on the ocean goes on. And every night, satellites snap a picture of all the activity taking place down below, including vessels at sea. Vessels often are equipped with bright lights […]

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Contributions from the Ground Can Strengthen New Transshipment Guidelines

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

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On the High Seas, Global Fishing Watch Helps Focus Law Enforcement Patrols

Annual international collaboration Operation North Pacific Guard targets illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing   For three years, Global Fishing Watch has worked with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), and their partners in addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the North Pacific as part of Operation

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African Nations to Use New Technology in Tightening Port Controls, Fighting Illegal Fishing With Big Data

Pilot project delivers new vessel tracking technology and analysis where limited resources hamper detection and enforcement efforts Dakar, Senegal – Four African nations and a regional fisheries organization are harnessing new technology to strengthen port controls and combat illegal fishing. The international nonprofits, Global Fishing Watch and Trygg Mat Tracking are partnering with Senegal, Ghana,

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Transparent Ocean Data Can Drive Digital Innovation to Reveal Human Activity at Sea

Global Fishing Watch partners with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Decade of Ocean Science to bring digital innovation to fisheries monitoring Commercial fishing is vital to the food security, livelihoods and cultural identity of millions of people around the world. But the fish that sustain this industry freely swim across

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aerial vessel

New Study Claims Information Sharing is Key to Transparency in International Fisheries

Pacific case study suggests greater transparency will improve legitimacy and sustainability of tuna fisheries  Transshipment, the transfer of catch from fishing vessels to refrigerated cargo vessels (often called ‘reefers’ or ‘carriers’)  is an important part of many seafood supply chains. But when transshipment occurs at sea, loopholes in governance and gaps in monitoring can obscure

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A scoop is used to haul tons of tuna onto the deck of the purse seine fishing boat

Life Below Water: Ensuring Legal Seafood Starts with Supporting Fisheries Workers

Transparency of vessel information will protect fisheries observers and help create a culture of compliance Working as a fisheries observer is a challenging job. Days, possibly even weeks away from shore, long hours in a tough environment – there’s no question that the role is physically and mentally demanding.  But the difficulties don’t stop there.

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Satellite ss international space station

Technology collaboration aims to strengthen fisheries monitoring and control

New agreement will combine data and analysis from Global Fishing Watch and Vulcan Inc. to bolster fisheries transparency and enforcement Washington D.C. – Global Fishing Watch (GFW), an international nonprofit organization, has entered into a formal collaboration with Vulcan Inc., combining their vessel monitoring capabilities to enhance fisheries management and governmental efforts to combat illegal, unreported

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Palmyra Atoll

Study Uses Satellite Technology to Reveal How Fisheries Respond to Marine Protection

A team of scientists investigate benefits of large marine protected areas Standing at sea level, looking out at the ocean, you can only see about three miles (5 km) from shore. The largest marine protected areas (MPAs), which restrict fishing for conservation or fisheries benefits, span up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from shore.

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Mediterranean Sea International Space Station Italy Europe Preview

Spotting Transshipment with an Ocean of AIS Data

Find out how Global Fishing Watch’s carrier vessel portal promotes ocean sustainability by tracking transshipment with the help of AIS data This article was produced and first published by our data partner, Spire Global. Global Fishing Watch created a new tool using Spire Global’s AIS data to shine a light on transshipment—a critical process of high seas

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Celebrating 25 Years of Collaboration for Responsible Fisheries

Life Below Water: Celebrating 25 Years of Collaboration for Responsible Fisheries

Innovative use of data and technology can support the implementation of historic, flagship policies October 2020 brings the 25th anniversary of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (the Code). Developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Code aims to “strengthen international legal frameworks for more effective conservation, management

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Asiatic squid vessels

Follow the Lights: Squid Fishing in the Southeast Pacific Ocean

Satellite technology illuminates foreign and domestic vessels in search of one of Peru’s most valuable catches Nearly 400 industrial foreign squid vessels were engaged in fishing activities last month on the border of Peru’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Their interest? A jumbo squid fishery. This cephalopod fishery represents one of the world’s largest, and is

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Blue whales

Global Fishing Watch Data Reveals Ships Speed through Endangered Whale Habitat

When we click ‘buy’ online or check out at a retail store, we don’t often think about massive ships moving our products across the ocean. Yet we are all connected to the marine shipping industry by the goods we use every day. As the connectors of the global economy, cargo ships move up to 90

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Daily total landed fishing hours for japanese domestic vessels graphic

COVID-19 Harms Japanese Fisheries Despite Active Fleet

A second wave of the coronavirus could exacerbate future fisheries damages Global fishing activity has been in decline since the COVID-19 pandemic began. From the start of 2020 fishing activity has decreased by approximately 6.6 percent, and it has dropped nearly 7.9 percent since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11.

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Officer crosschecks suspicious vessel behaviors identified in VMS data in the Marshall Islands

New Partnership Brings Added Opportunities to Fisheries Monitoring

Global Fishing Watch becomes observer to International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Network  It has been a busy summer for us at Global Fishing Watch. While travel may have been suspended and the majority of fisheries and ocean-related meetings were either canceled or postponed – some held virtually – the work has not slowed down. And

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