Fact Sheet

The ocean covers nearly 70 percent of the planet–14 million square kilometers–providing a huge challenge for monitoring activity and enforcing regulations across its vast expanse. That activity includes illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which accounts for up to $23 billion worth of seafood every year, or one in every five wild-caught fish.

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