Global Fishing Watch study finds resourcing, learning and trust are “key” to building good ocean governance

A new Global Fishing Watch study has found that cutting-edge technologies alone are not enough to deliver lasting improvements in ocean governance, with success depending instead on strong institutions, effective enforcement and partnerships that can turn new visibility into real-world action.

The paper, titled “Capacity development for technology adoption in fisheries and conservation requires two-way learning” and published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, underscores the critical role open source data and vessel tracking technologies — such as the automatic identification system (AIS) and vessel monitoring system (VMS) — play in supporting governments in their efforts to achieve transparency as the bedrock of their fisheries management. However, the authors note these technologies must be paired with training and trust-building efforts in order to achieve maximum results.

“Capacity development is often reduced to training, but it operates across interconnected individual, institutional and systemic levels,” said Aimée Komugabe-Dixson, Global Fishing Watch’s senior manager of capacity development and knowledge exchange and co-author of the study. “For example, we found that training should prioritize peer exchange, as these events go beyond simply improving individual skills.”

“Any intervention, be it training, knowledge exchange or standardising institutional processes, must be needs-driven and start from a place of trust,” Komugabe-Dixson continued. “In this context, capacity development is a dynamic and relational process that is affected by political, socio-economic and cultural realities. It necessarily takes time.” 

Drawing from Global Fishing Watch’s vast reservoir of capacity development experiences, the study hones in on distinct case studies from the organization’s work in Latin America. The authors cite a successful collaboration with Panama’s fisheries authorities to show that defining a joint protocol for collaboration is a vital first step to establishing clear expectations and roles for partners, setting boundaries and facilitating open communication. The researchers further note that this first step allows partners to review and re-define engagement, thus fostering trusting and productive relationships. 

At the same time, the study notes that institutional learning — developing systems and processes to document decisions, evaluate outcomes and respond to findings — remains critical for building institutional memory. This helps institutions preserve knowledge and maintain continuity amid change, making capacity development efforts more durable and effective over time. 

The authors also turn their focus to the media’s role in generating institutional consensus around fisheries policies. Citing a Global Fishing Watch collaboration with Chilean media to develop public awareness on the politically charged issue of squid fisheries operating on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Latin America, they spotlight the need for strong collaborations between scientists, knowledge brokers and journalists to ensure accurate reporting. Finally, the authors highlight the value of co-developing resources with partners to avoid “reinventing the wheel.” In particular, they point to a partnership in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor region through which a prototype of the Marine Manager tool was iteratively developed with key stakeholders, fostering ownership, sustainability and innovation at the local level.  

According to the study, these lessons are shaping the evolution of Global Fishing Watch itself. Initially focused on delivering cutting-edge technology, the organization has increasingly come to operate as a “boundary organization,” working at the intersection of science, policy and practice. This shift has been essential for supporting real-world decision-making and governments’ efforts towards good ocean governance through transparency. 

“By reflecting on Global Fishing Watch’s own experiences, our study hopes to contribute to a broader conversation about what it takes to make transparency meaningful,” explained Mónica Espinoza-Miralles, Global Fishing Watch’s Head of Latin America Latin America and a co-author of the study. 

“Fully understanding how capacity development succeeds requires listening more closely to the governments, practitioners and communities that may want to use these tools — and ensuring that the technology ultimately serves their needs.”