To download our data directly from the Global Fishing Watch map, click on an area of interest, then select the ‘Download visible activity layers for this area’ icon within the pop-up. To learn more, watch this video tutorial. If you would like continuous, rather than static, data, you can explore our APIs here. Alternatively, download […]
How can I obtain Global Fishing Watch data or code? Read More »
The AIS data you see spans from January 1, 2012 to 72 hours prior to the present time. VMS data is published with a delay agreed by the specific government.
Is the information I’m seeing in the Global Fishing Watch map real-time? Read More »
We get our data from a combination of commercial and government sources. Learn more.
Where does Global Fishing Watch get the data from? Read More »
Fishing vessels can turn off their AIS – and Global Fishing Watch can help detect when this appears to occur. We can also flag instances where ships disappear or appear suddenly, jump thousands of miles at once, or appear to fish on land. AIS was primarily designed as a safety mechanism to help avoid collisions
Can fishing vessels turn off their AIS? Read More »
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
The visible infrared imaging radiometer suite, or VIIRS, is a satellite-based highly sensitive optical sensor to see lights at day and night. The sensor is highly sensitive so that it can detect light emitted by vessels on the ocean at night. The Earth Observation Group (EOG) at the Colorado School of Mines has developed an
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
Register for a free Global Fishing Watch account here. You can use your Gmail or Facebook account to register, or create an account and password with your email address.
How do I register for a Global Fishing Watch account? Read More »
To view different types of fishing vessel data, on the top of the left sidebar, we have the Activity section. The ‘apparent fishing effort’ includes AIS and VMS data. AIS data can be filtered by flag and gear type. VMS data can be filtered by source, flag and, in some cases, by gear type, fleet
How do I view different types of fishing vessel data? (AIS, VMS, VIIRS, SAR) Read More »
Toggle the reference layers on or off from the left hand side of the Global Fishing Watch map to view fishing, carrier or other activity around marine protected areas (MPAs), exclusive economic zones (EEZs), FAO major fishing areas, high seas and other areas.
How do I view fishing activity in/around MPAs, EEZs, or High Seas areas? Read More »
Use your mouse to click and drag to scroll around the map. You can zoom in or out using your mouse pad or the +/- icons on the right side of the map.
How do I view different parts of the world? Read More »
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
Nota de Prensa en español Panama City, 20 March 2019 – Panama today signed a formal agreement to make its national vessel tracking data publicly available through the Global Fishing Watch (GFW) map platform, demonstrating its commitment to greater transparency in fishing activities and to promoting sustainability. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the
Panama signs agreement to make its fishing fleet visible to the world Read More »
Manuel Dureuil is a PhD student researching sharks and Kristina Boerder a postdoctoral fellow working on marine protected areas at Dalhousie University, Canada. In a recent publication in SCIENCE, Elevated trawling inside protected areas undermines conservation outcomes in a global fishing hotspot, Manuel, Kristina and a team of researchers from Dalhousie University, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre
More fishing inside, more sharks outside marine protected areas Read More »
Camellia Williams is a Lead Writer at Vizzuality. See her original blog post here. We love hearing stories about people changing the world with the things we help make. This month we were contacted by Luli Masera. Luli is the co-founder of the Marine Conservation programme of Tompkins Conservation in Argentina and she had some extremely exciting
Global Fishing Watch data key to MPA victory in Argentina Read More »
