Overview
- Where possible, Global Fishing Watch matches self-reported identity data with public vessel registry sources to allow cross-checking of information.
- In addition to self-reported identity data, Global Fishing Watch gathers, cleans and combines vessel identity information from over 40 public registries. These registries include regional and national sources. View the full list of registries in our FAQs.
- When we are able to match identity information from one or many public registries to information transmitted by a vessel, this enables stakeholders to track changes to movement and identity throughout the vessel’s life – from construction to scrapping.
- Viewing a vessel’s activity in the context of its broader history – identity, activity, current and historic authorizations – creates opportunities to see new types of vessel insights and behavioral patterns.
Caveats
- Vessel registry information is not globally representative
- The quantity and quality of our collected registry data vary by flag State, thereby introducing some uneven degrees of information about vessel identity.
- Global Fishing Watch works to offset the lack of public registry data by complementing with other data sources and advocating for transparency in regional and national fora. Learn more about our Transparency work.
- We continue to find and add more public sources of information as an increasing number of initiatives help make more vessel identity data publicly available.
- Focused on vessels greater than 24 meters in length
- Our vessel identity data includes a higher proportion of larger vessels, in particular vessels greater than 24 meters in length and vessels operating in international waters. This is because larger vessels and vessels that operate outside of national waters, are more likely registered to regional or global public vessel registries and more likely to be mandated to use AIS.
- With a few exceptions, most registries do not provide sufficient identity data for smaller vessels – defined here as vessels less than 15 meters in length.
- Additionally, due to their size, these small vessels are often not required to use AIS, meaning we are unable to ascertain AIS-based identity information for them.
- Identifying unique vessels accurately is challenging
- A vessel in our data is generally identified by an MMSI number transmitting AIS messages assigned to a vessel identity.
- While many vessels use their unique MMSIs for the entire duration of our data (2012 to the present), vessel identities—including MMSI numbers, callsign, ship name and flag—associated with some vessel hulls change over time.
- For example, an MMSI may change when a vessel changes its flag State.
- Sometimes we can track a vessel through identity changes by using its IMO number, which are permanent unique identifiers that follow a vessel throughout its life, from vessel construction to vessel scrapping.
- For other vessels, however, we are currently unable to provide a complete track of identity changes due to lack of available information.
- We are working towards identifying links between vessel identities associated with the same vessel hulls to share in the future.
Learn more
Global Fishing Watch’s vessel identity and characterization process