2030 Strategy

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Transforming ocean governance with transparency and technology

Global Fishing Watch believes that information about the ocean should be common knowledge. Using innovative technologies, we create and publicly share knowledge about human activity at sea so that the ocean and its resources can be managed sustainably. We share this information publicly to promote transparency, build international cooperation and enable a new era of ocean governance.

By 2030, we will empower institutions and people across countries to: 

Reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated and destructive fishing practices.

Better enforce and protect the rights of 1 million small-scale fishers.

Improve effective designation and management of marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.

The road to 2030

From clamping down on lawless fishing to designating new marine protected areas, our work leverages technology, outreach and a diverse set of local partnerships. We continue to grow our open technology platform to provide dynamic visualizations of what is happening across two-thirds of the world’s surface, offering up insights and analysis that can guide better management of the ocean. 

By promoting transparency and liberating data, we seek to create knowledge that enables new governance approaches and scientific research. As we fulfill our goal to map all human activity at sea, engaging national governments and working through international policies and forums, we focus our efforts on three main areas:

Industrial fishing
Around 60 percent of the global seafood catch is landed by 350,000 industrial-sized fishing vessels. Nefarious operators are responsible for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which accounts for up to 20 percent of the global catch and results in losses to the global economy in the billions. This is why we are working to map and monitor every large fishing vessel in the world. We use this data to enable authorities and the wider ocean community to identify rogue operators and take action.
Small-scale fishing
Small-scale fishing represents about 40 percent of the global catch. With much of the small-scale catch occurring in developing countries where effective resource management is lacking, Global Fishing Watch aims to map and understand the activities of small-scale fishers to better protect them and their fishing grounds from industrial fleets.
Marine protection
Using our data on fishing, industrial activity, biodiversity and climate, we will support governments and multinational bodies in the design and monitoring of marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. We make this information widely available and continually integrate it into our marine manager portal to support better marine spatial planning, empower managers to effectively safeguard protected waters and help the international community reach its 30x30 target

Empowering others to do good

By sharing our data and technology with other organizations, carrying out joint research and supporting collaborations that align with our own vision and mission, we enable further positive changes for the ocean. We are excited to see what others can do with our data and tools, and what new opportunities develop in the coming years. Our areas of partnership include:

  • Ocean climate solutions: Reducing emissions from vessels and offshore oil and gas production, protecting ocean carbon sinks, reducing new fossil fuel production at sea and accelerating adoption of offshore renewables.

  • Marine pollution: Limiting pollution from ocean-going vessels and fixed infrastructure. 

  • Conservation: Preventing direct harm to marine life from shipping, mining and other industrial activity at sea.

  • Science and governance: Supporting research into critical questions around marine science and ocean governance.

Transforming ocean governance

Delivering our ambitious agenda will require demonstrating our impact and leadership through media and storytelling, identifying influential voices that can help increase the visibility and credibility of our work, but most importantly, building relationships with key stakeholders and like-minded organizations. 

Among our approaches to succeeding is a pointed effort to forge academic and research partnerships in key regions. These partners serve as experts, providing technical input and local knowledge to help us support governments in meeting their management priorities.

Global Ocean Mapping

Global Fishing Watch harnesses satellite imagery, vessel GPS data and machine learning to process millions of gigabytes of data and provide a dynamic picture of human activity at sea.
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Country Outreach

To transform ocean management, we need governments to understand, embrace and champion the benefits of transparency and open data. By 2030, we aim to enable 30 countries to adopt transparency as a central pillar of ocean governance.
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International Policy

Our team of policy experts are working with U.N. agencies, regional fisheries management organizations and other international bodies to advance transparency and related policy action across multinational institutions.
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