Our Technology Harvesting big data Processing the data Sharing the results Just a decade ago, building an accurate picture of human activity at sea across the globe would have been impossible. But thanks to advances in satellite technology, cloud computing and machine learning, Global Fishing Watch is now making it a reality. We are revolutionizing […]
Vessel monitoring system, or VMS, tracks vessels in a similar way to AIS, but has historically been restricted to government regulators or other fisheries authorities. Several countries have released their VMS publicly on the Global Fishing Watch map. VMS systems broadcast positions at set intervals and some systems allow operators to increase transmission frequency when […]
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 […]
On World Ocean Day in June 2017, we partnered with Minister Susi Pudjiastuti and the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to publicly release Indonesian Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data. This was the first ever public release of VMS data. Previously accessible only in a dedicated public workspace on our site, this data is […]
JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AND GLOBAL FISHING WATCH, INC. JUNE, 2017 The Republic of Indonesia and Global Fishing Watch, Inc.* have entered into a partnership to deliver Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data for all Indonesian flagged fishing vessels in a publicly-available data platform. We believe the public sharing of VMS data should […]
Peruvian vessel monitoring system is shining a light on the large artisanal squid fleet in the Southeast Pacific Ocean, Peru’s second most important fishery. Peru recognizes the value of transparency to improve the monitoring and management of its rich fisheries. The country has publicly shared its vessel monitoring system (VMS) data since March 2018, but […]
Using bright lights to reveal the ‘dark’ fleet Christopher Elvidge with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Earth Observation Group writes about matching night-time imagery with monitoring data from fishing vessels to shed new light on the ‘dark’ fleet. The challenges with tracking vessels Vessel tracks from Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Vessel […]
Bright Lights Reveal the “Dark” Fleet A new partnership between Global Fishing Watch and NOAA matches night-time imagery with monitoring data from fishing vessels. January 16, 2018: Global Fishing Watch has entered into a new data-sharing partnership with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve understanding of the activity of fishing vessels […]
This week, at the United Nation’s Ocean Conference, the Republic of Indonesia becomes the first nation ever to publish Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data revealing the location and activity of its commercial fishing fleet. The new data being made public on the Global Fishing Watch public mapping platform reveals commercial fishing in Indonesian waters and […]
Transparency Transparency is crucial for good stewardship of our global ocean—to fight illegal fishing, to protect fish stocks and livelihoods, and to increase the safety and well-being of fishers. We are committed to promoting international cooperation and transparency around ocean data towards a new era of ocean governance. About our Transparency Program Despite its importance, […]
