The automatic identification system, or AIS, transmits a ship’s position so that other ships are aware of its position. The International Maritime Organization and other management bodies require large ships, including many commercial fishing vessels, to broadcast their position with AIS in order to avoid collisions. Each year, more than 400,000 AIS devices broadcast vessel […]
The IMO requires AIS use by all vessels >500GT, for any vessel >300GT that is on an “international voyage” and for all passenger vessels: IMO Revised Guidelines for the Onboard Operation Use of Shipborne AIS – A.1106(29) 22 AIS should always be in operation when ships are underway or at anchor. If the master believes […]
Discover how these complementary systems work, where each excels and why using them together strengthens fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance.
This article was originally published by SkyTruth on May 31, 2023.
Global Fishing Watch has launched an improved version (v3.0) of our automatic identification system (AIS) data pipeline. The AIS data pipeline is the series of processes that we use to convert the raw satellite AIS ingested data to the data products, such as machine learning estimates of fishing activity, identity data that combines merged external […]
We are often asked about how Global Fishing Watch can be effective when vessel captains can simply turn off their AIS. And our answer has always been, “they have to turn it back on sometime—especially when entering port, and intentional blackouts raise a red flag.” Our recent analysis of fleet activity around the Argentine EEZ […]
Global Fishing Watch is advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we enable scientific research and drive a transformation in how we manage our ocean.
The maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a radio communications system by which vessels continuously broadcast their identity and position over public airwaves using unencrypted VHS radio signals. When it was developed almost 20 years ago, its primary purpose was to increase safety at sea: ships needed a better way to “see” each other and […]
The agreement will harness technology and transparency to strengthen surveillance of marine protected areas and safeguard biodiversity
Something we hear often about tracking vessels with Automatic Identification Signals (AIS) is that transponders can be turned off. Fishers that don’t want to be caught doing something illegal or questionable will simply “go dark.”
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