Why vessel-level visibility and cross-platform collaboration should be the new benchmarks for mitigating risk in global tuna fisheries
- Transparency is essential for accountability in the seafood industry as it allows stakeholders to identify and mitigate hidden risks such as illegal fishing and human rights abuses.
- Achieving true supply chain visibility requires tracking data down to the individual vessel level to verify the accuracy of reported information.
- Collaborative efforts and integrated digital platforms are critical for creating a standardized, accessible and reliable framework for sustainable seafood sourcing.
As the global demand for seafood continues to grow, so too does the complexity of the supply chains that deliver it. From fishing vessels operating on the high seas in distant-water fisheries, to grocery store shelves across continents, seafood — particularly tuna — often passes through a vast and opaque network. This lack of visibility has significant implications — not only for sustainability and labor rights, but also for the ability of companies, regulators and consumers to manage and mitigate risk. That’s where transparency and supply chain mapping come in.
Why transparency matters
Transparency is the foundation for accountability in any supply chain, but it’s especially crucial in the seafood industry. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, human rights abuses, bycatch risks and environmental degradation are persistent and interconnected issues. Without clear and accessible information about where seafood comes from and how it was harvested, it becomes nearly impossible to address these problems meaningfully.
Transparency enables stakeholders to shine a light on these hidden parts of the chain. It creates an environment where responsible actors can be recognized and risks identified and addressed. It is also critical for effective traceability, ensuring that the information collected during the tracking process is both accessible and verifiable, fostering trust and accountability throughout the supply chain. For true accountability, transparency and traceability must be integrated.
Transparency vs Traceability
While transparency focuses on making data and practices visible, traceability ensures that seafood can be tracked reliably from source to consumer. Neither works alone:
A company may trace a product from port to plate, but without vessel-level transparency, they can’t verify where or how it was caught, or the accuracy of the data.
Conversely, vessel data that cannot be linked to product movements across the supply chain offers only a partial picture.
Understanding risk
Before risks can be managed, they must be understood. While many companies have made progress by actively assessing risks, these efforts often remain focused at the fishery level, providing only a partial picture. A more granular understanding — such as identifying every actor from vessel to plate — is critical to pinpointing vulnerabilities. In high risk fisheries, mapping to the vessel is the first step in turning a fragmented system into a manageable network. With it, stakeholders can better manage supply chains and target areas for intervention.
At the heart of the wild capture seafood supply chain is the fishing vessel. Vessel-level data, including ownership, licensing, fishing activity and compliance history, are critical to understanding risk. Yet, accessing this information is not always easy.
- Many countries do not publish vessel registries, or if they do, the information is incomplete or outdated.
- Vessel identity can be obscured through changes in names, flags or ownership.
- 75 percent of industrial vessels are not publicly tracked, making their movements invisible without satellite imagery.
- Verifying the fishing methods used by vessels is often difficult, limiting the ability to confirm whether they meet sustainability standards or commitments.
- In regions with poor enforcement or governance, there may be little to no record of where a vessel has operated or whether it followed regulations.
While governments hold ultimate responsibility for managing fisheries and implementing measures to improve the collection and availability of critical information, the seafood industry plays an essential role in incorporating transparency into their business practices. Progressive industry actors are increasingly recognizing the commercial and environmental benefits of sustainable fisheries and are investing in transparency, traceability and government advocacy efforts to reduce the risk of IUU seafood entering their supply chains.
The role of technology in streamlining due diligence and supporting data verification
To turn risk awareness into practical action, technology is key. Digital systems and monitoring tools are helping industry and regulators alike move from identifying problems to actively managing them.
In recent years, there has been a promising rise and uptake of digital, interoperable and standardized data systems for seafood supply chains, facilitated through standards such as the Global Dialogue for Seafood Traceability. These frameworks allow seafood businesses and governments to record and share information across borders. From electronic catch documentation to blockchain-enabled traceability, digital tools are making supply chains faster, more efficient and more transparent.
But there’s a critical catch: data is only as good as its source. If the information being entered is false, incomplete or intentionally misleading, the entire system risks becoming a digital façade. That’s why verification remains essential through the likes of satellite monitoring technologies, onboard observers and cross-referencing multiple data sources.
Satellite monitoring technologies — particularly publicly available vessel tracking systems such as the automatic identification system, or AIS — enable companies to cross-check critical information about where and when source vessels are fishing against records such as catch certificates. Global Fishing Watch’s Vessel Viewer provides vessel history and activity insights, allowing users to quickly access identity and operational details for fishing vessels, fish carriers or fisheries support vessels. The tool helps users verify and cross-reference information, identify data gaps and strengthen due diligence and risk assessment.
Global Fishing Watch’s Vessel Viewer shows how vessel identity and historical activity data are used to conduct automated vessel group analysis, enabling more seamless and efficient seafood due diligence.
Collaboration for accountability
As part of a broader suite of tools supporting the seafood industry to enhance transparency and accountability, Global Fishing Watch is collaborating with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) to integrate and expand existing databases that improve traceability in global tuna fisheries. This collaboration links SFP’s FishSource and Seafood Metrics, ISSF’s Proactive Vessel Register and Vessels on Other Sustainability Initiatives and Global Fishing Watch’s Vessel Viewer and Marine Manager.
Together, resources from these three organizations provide a more comprehensive transparency framework, incorporating sustainability indicators that extend beyond fish-stock health and management practices. This integrated approach meets market needs and supports responsible, sustainable tuna sourcing worldwide.
The path forward
Improving transparency is not just about data collection — it’s about making that information reliable, verifiable, accessible and actionable. By strengthening verification and integrating existing tools and databases, the seafood industry can better manage risk, meet market expectations and support long-term sustainability.
Caitlin Gilmour is a seafood industry manager at Global Fishing Watch.