Datasets and Code: Apparent Fishing Effort Global Fishing Watch’s flagship dataset is apparent fishing effort based on transmissions broadcast using the automatic identification system (AIS). In 2018, we published the first global assessment of commercial fishing activity in the journal Science. Our research found that fishing is both widespread—occurring throughout approximately 50 percent of the […]
New study provides first global dataset examining intentional disabling of automatic identification system devices across commercial fisheries The ocean is vast and ship crews rely on several tools to navigate it safely. One of these tools is the automatic identification system, commonly referred to as AIS, which uses GPS transponders to regularly broadcast critical information, […]
Fishing vessels with Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) increasing by 10 to 30 percent each year. 19 November 2019, Rome – A new global atlas – the first-ever of its kind – analyses the opportunities and challenges of using Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) to monitor fishing activity around the globe. AIS is a tracking technology designed […]
Platform Updates 2025 March – Vessel Viewer and Vessels API – New vessel identity fields from TMT New vessel identity information provided by TMT is now available in vessel profiles in Vessel Viewer, including vessel gear type, year built, length, depth, gross tonnage and photo, when available Global Fishing Watch and TMT are pleased to […]
What information can be accessed in the public apparent fishing effort dataset and what has changed in the latest release?
International agreement to track vessels will bring greater accountability, build compliance and help protect fishers Despite being a global, publicly shared resource, there is little transparency about what takes place across the ocean—especially when it comes to fishing on the high seas. Vessel tracking is a key method to understanding this activity, but Global Fishing […]
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 […]
In 2018, Global Fishing Watch (GFW) published the first ever global maps of fishing activity using AIS data. These fishing maps drew on billions of GPS positions broadcast by over 60,000 fishing vessels, and they revealed fishing operations in all oceans in incredible detail. These new methods, though, had yet to be vetted by the […]
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 […]
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.”
