Courtney Farthing

Technology for Transparency: Fishing and marine management in the Mediterranean region

Fisheries, Impacts, Policy & Compliance, Transparency / By

Newly launched portal uses fishing vessel transparency as a tool to transform marine protection in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region June 5 is the international day for the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. First marked in 2018, this day was originally proposed by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) …

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The Overlooked Impact of Bottom Trawling

Fisheries, Impacts, News & Views, Research and analysis / By

A new study published by the scientific journal Nature is the first to quantify the potential release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the ocean from trawling and finds that trawling is pumping hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 into the ocean every year. Juan Mayorga, marine scientist and study coauthor, talks about the groundbreaking …

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Close encounters between albatross and fishing vessels in the North Pacific

News & Views, Research and analysis / By

In September of 2016, Leigh Torres, associate professor at Oregon State University, and I attended the 6th International Albatross and Petrel Conference. Somehow, amid all of the science that filled the week, Leigh first saw the Global Fishing Watch fishing map. She shouted with joy. She immediately envisioned a study to assess interactions between seabirds …

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Half the Ocean: Updating The Global Footprint of Fisheries

Data and technology, Fisheries, News & Views / By

Global Fishing Watch’s updated fishing data offers new insight into the presence and behavior of the global fishing fleet In 2018, we published the first-ever global assessment of commercial fishing activity in Science. We tracked over 60,000 fishing vessels between 2012 and 2016, and estimated that fishing occurred on more than half of the ocean.  …

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New Fishing Data Paves the Way for Improved Analysis

Data and technology, News & Views / By

Improvements to our fishing effort data and vessel classification can help promote transparency of human activity on the world’s oceans In 2018, Global Fishing Watch released its first public fishing effort data that included almost 142 million hours of fishing from over 73,000 unique maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) numbers. The dataset, spanning 2012-2016, represented …

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COVID-19 Brings Unmatched Downturn in Global Fishing Activity

Data and technology, Fisheries, News & Views / By

One year into the pandemic that triggered turmoil around the world, an analysis of Global Fishing Watch data sheds light on shifts in global fishing activity  As the world marks the March 11th anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fishing sector—like many industries—continues to feel the effects. With our …

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Costa Rica Boats

Latin America Highlights Transparency as Essential in Tackling Illegal Fishing

Fisheries, News & Views, Policy & Compliance / By

Countries embrace transparency-based strategy to promote fair and effective ocean governance The 34th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Committee on Fisheries (COFI 34) was held virtually last week. Front and center of the agenda was the need to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a practice which accounts …

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Sushi

New poll reveals demand for seafood traceability and public vessel tracking

Impacts, News & Views, Policy & Compliance / By

Oceana calls on U.S. government to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the US seafood supply chain The largest ocean-focused advocacy group, Oceana, released results from a new poll revealing that 83 percent of Americans agree that all seafood should be traceable from the fishing boat to the dinner plate, and 77 percent support …

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Protecting Human Rights at Sea Starts with Access to Information

Protecting Human Rights at Sea Starts with Access to Information

Impacts, News & Views, Policy & Compliance / By

New collaboration between Global Fishing Watch and Human Rights at Sea aims to ensure policy and satellite technology solutions are aligned and information is available to all stakeholders  The International Labour Organization of the United Nations estimates that 16 million people were in forced labor in the private economy in 2016, with 11 percent across …

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Fishing vessels in coastal Ecuador

Leadership in Fisheries Management Will Help Bring Transparency to Latin American Waters

Impacts, News & Views, Policy & Compliance, Transparency / By

Costa Rica and Ecuador will join the Global Fishing Watch platform, furthering accountability of fishing activity in the region A new era of transparency in fisheries management is emerging in Latin America. Since 2018, Peru, Chile, and Panama and more recently, Costa Rica and Ecuador, have begun to adapt the orthodox, and not always successful, …

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Ecuador harbor scene

Global Fishing Watch commends Ecuador’s decision to strengthen governance throughout its waters

News & Views, Press Release / By

Momentum gains as more countries take action to promote fisheries transparency Guayaquil, Ecuador – Ecuador has taken bold action to bolster ocean governance by joining the Global Fishing Watch platform, facilitating enhanced monitoring of the 1,200 vessels that make up Ecuador’s industrial and small-scale fishing fleets. This momentous decision will help increase accountability for vessels …

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Forecast Illegal Fishing Risk in Mexico

Predictive Analytics to Forecast Illegal Fishing Risk in Mexico

Fisheries, Research and analysis / By

A new collaboration aims to make management at sea more cost-effective using cutting-edge technology Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing affects the sustainability of fisheries worldwide. In Mexico, illegal fishing accounts for up to an estimated 56 percent of national seafood production, according to estimates by the Environmental Defense Fund. Such a significant level of …

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aerial vessel

New Study Claims Information Sharing is Key to Transparency in International Fisheries

News & Views, Research and analysis / By

Pacific case study suggests greater transparency will improve legitimacy and sustainability of tuna fisheries  Transshipment, the transfer of catch from fishing vessels to refrigerated cargo vessels (often called ‘reefers’ or ‘carriers’)  is an important part of many seafood supply chains. But when transshipment occurs at sea, loopholes in governance and gaps in monitoring can obscure …

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A scoop is used to haul tons of tuna onto the deck of the purse seine fishing boat

Life Below Water: Ensuring Legal Seafood Starts with Supporting Fisheries Workers

News & Views, Policy & Compliance / By

Transparency of vessel information will protect fisheries observers and help create a culture of compliance Working as a fisheries observer is a challenging job. Days, possibly even weeks away from shore, long hours in a tough environment – there’s no question that the role is physically and mentally demanding.  But the difficulties don’t stop there. …

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