Michele Kuruc

Michele Kuruc leads Global Fishing Watch’s work spanning fisheries analysis, capacity development and international policy. She is one of the primary authors of the Vessel Tracking Best Practices Guide, a new global reference that draws on specialized experience with the operational, technical and legal aspects of vessel tracking systems.

Kuruc brings extensive experience in fisheries law and policy at the national, regional and international levels, with particular expertise in how legal authorities are developed, interpreted and applied. Before joining Global Fishing Watch, she worked at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations during negotiations of the Port State Measures Agreement and served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she supervised and worked alongside the team that evaluated and advanced its first fisheries case based on vessel tracking evidence.

Kuruc joined Global Fishing Watch as a senior advisor in 2024, providing guidance on international fisheries policy and legal issues, particularly the use of vessel tracking data in legal proceedings. She subsequently served as interim director of international policy before taking on her current role in January 2026.