Projects Disabled Signals When and why vessels stop broadcasting their position The automatic identification system (AIS) has revolutionized the way fishing activity is monitored across the ocean. But vessels don’t always broadcast their locations—AIS devices can be switched off to conceal a vessel’s activity. Our work on disabled signals seeks to identify when and why […]
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 […]
The comprehensive guide offers more than 70 practical recommendations to leverage ocean transparency for better ocean governance
Vessel Tracking Related expert: Charles Kilgour We can’t manage what we can’t see. For decades, industrial fishing has operated in the shadows, remaining one of the most opaque and unmonitored sectors in global commerce. Global Fishing Watch’s mission is to shine a light on human activity at sea, bringing transparency to global fisheries and strengthening […]
Our new optical satellite imagery detections layer delivers clearer views of vessels at sea, offering expanded coverage and unprecedented nearshore detail.
API updates include a new API that returns information from public registries and AIS.
New data reveals suspected vessel rendezvous at sea and sheds light on the ‘dark’ fleet To mark World Oceans Day, Global Fishing Watch (GFW) has increased ocean transparency by releasing the first-ever ‘live’ global view of likely transshipping at sea — a practice that can mask illegal fishing activity, and imagery of night-time fishing and its location, exposing […]
Overview Automatic identification system (AIS) devices are a type of GPS tracking device that vessels use while at sea. AIS messages contain two types of information: positional messages which contain the vessel’s GPS location, course, heading and speed; and static messages which contain the vessel’s identity information including vessel name, IRCS, IMO, shiptype, dimensions and […]
This post has been adapted from “Updated Vessel Lists 0.2” which appeared on our Data Blog for researchers and software engineers by David Kroodsma. Automating the process of identifying all industrial-scale fishing activity in near-real time on a global scale through AIS data is something that’s never been done. Inventing something new often means first […]
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