Scientific Research on Commercial Fishing

Global Fishing Watch and our research partners have produced the following publications and tools based on the application of our fishing activity data. These research products advance our understanding of fishing activity to better inform policy and market decisions governing fisheries sustainability.

Illuminating dark fishing fleets in North Korea

J. Park, J. Lee, K. Seto, T. Hochberg, B. A. Wong, N. A. Miller, K. Takasaki, H. Kubota, Y. Oozeki, S. Doshi, M. Midzik, Q. Hanich, B. Sullivan, P. Woods, D. A. Kroodsma, Illuminating dark fishing fleets in North Korea. Sci. Adv. 6, eabb1197 (2020). Read the paper – Blog post – 2019 analysis – Media kit – Press release

Approaches to combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

Tony Long, Sjarief Widjaja, Hassan Wirajuda & Stephanie Juwana, Nature Food. 1, pages389–391(2020). Read the comment – Read the paper

Data-driven approach for highlighting priority areas for protection in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction

Visalli, ME, BD Best, RB Cabral, WWL Cheung, NA Clark, C Garilao, K Kaschner et al. 2020. Data-driven approach for highlighting priority areas for protection in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. Marine Policy. 103927. Read the paper

Environmental market design for large-scale marine conservation

Villaseñor-Derbez, J.C., J Lynham, C Costello. 2020. Environmental market design for large-scale marine conservation. Nature Sustainability. 1-7. Read the paper – Blog post

Impact of two of the world’s largest protected areas on longline fishery catch rates

Lynham, J, A Nikolaev, J Raynor, T Vilela, and JC Villaseñor-Derbez. 2020. Impact of two of the world’s largest protected areas on longline fishery catch rates. Nature Communications. 11, 979. Read the paper

Catching industrial fishing incursions into inshore waters of Africa from space

Belhabib, D, WWL Cheung, DA Kroodsma, VWY Lam, PJ Underwood, J Virdin. 2019. Catching industrial fishing incursions into inshore waters of Africa from space. Fish and Fisheries. 00: 1– 14. Read paper – Blog post

Global Atlas of AIS-based fishing activity – Challenges and opportunities

Taconet, M., DA Kroodsma, JA Fernandes. 2019. Global Atlas of AIS-based fishing activity – Challenges and opportunities. Rome, FAO. Download the atlas – Read press release – Blog post

Property rights and the protection of global marine resources

Englander, Gabriel. 2019. Property rights and the protection of global marine resources. Nature Sustainability 2, 981–987. Read paper – Blog post

Growth Limitation of Marine Fish by Low Iron Availability in the Open Ocean

Galbraith ED, P Le Mézo, G Solanes Hernandez, D Bianchi and DA Kroodsma. 2019. Growth Limitation of Marine Fish by Low Iron Availability in the Open Ocean. Front. Mar. Sci. 6:509. Read paper – Blog post

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries

Queiroz, N, NE Humphries, […] DW Sims. 2019. Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries. Nature. 572(7770), 461-466.
Read paper – Blog post

Seasonal variability in global industrial fishing effort

Guiet, J, E Galbraith, DA Kroodsma, B Worm. 2019. Seasonal variability in global industrial fishing effort. PLoS ONE. 14(5): e0216819.
Read paper – Blog post

Cross-Matching VIIRS Boat Detections with Vessel Monitoring System Tracks in Indonesia

Hsu, FC, CD Elvidge, K Baugh, M Zhizhin, T Ghosh, DA Kroodsma, A Susanto, W Budy, M Riyanto, R Nurzeha, and Y Sudarja. 2019. Cross-Matching VIIRS Boat Detections with Vessel Monitoring System Tracks in Indonesia. Remote Sensing. 11(9), 995. Read paper

Predicted hotspots of overlap between highly migratory fishes and industrial fishing fleets in the northeast Pacific

White, TD, F Ferretti, DA Kroodsma, EL Hazen, AB Carlisle, KL Scales, SJ Bograd and BA Block. 2019. Predicted hotspots of overlap between highly migratory fishes and industrial fishing fleets in the northeast Pacific. Science Advances. 5(3), eaau3761. Read paper – Blog post

Elevated trawling inside protected areas undermines conservation outcomes in a global fishing hot spot

Dureuil, M, K Boerder, KA Burnett, R Froese, B Worm. 2018. Elevated trawling inside protected areas undermines conservation outcomes in a global fishing hot spot. Science. 362(6421), 1403-1407.
Read paper – Blog post

Detecting suspicious activities at sea based on anomalies in Automatic Identification Systems transmissions

Ford, JH, D Peel, D Kroodsma, BD Hardesty, U Rosebrock, C Wilcox. 2018. Detecting suspicious activities at sea based on anomalies in Automatic Identification Systems transmissions. Plos One. 13(8). Read paper

Leveraging satellite technology to create true shark sanctuaries

Bradley, D, J Mayorga, DJ McCauley, RB Cabral, P Douglas, SD Gaines. 2018. Leveraging satellite technology to create true shark sanctuaries. Conservation Letters. 12(2), p.e12610.
Read paper – Press release

The blue paradox: Preemptive overfishing in marine reserves

McDermott, GR, KC Meng, GG McDonald, C Costello. 2018. The blue paradox: Preemptive overfishing in marine reserves. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201802862. Press release – Read paper – Letter by Hanich et al – Reply to Hanich et al

Response to Comment on “Tracking the global footprint of fisheries”

Kroodsma, DA, J Mayorga, T Hochberg, N.A. Miller, K Boerder, F Ferretti, A Wilson, B Bergman, T.D. White, B.A. Block, P Woods, B Sullivan, C Costello, B Worm. 2018. Response to Comment on “Tracking the global footprint of fisheries.” Science. 361(6404), eaat7789. Read the response

The environmental niche of the global high seas pelagic longline fleet

Ortuno Crespo, G, D.C. Dunn, G Reygondeau, K Boerder, B Worm, W Cheung, D.P. Tittensor, P Halpin. 2018. The environmental niche of the global high seas pelagic longline fleet. Science Advances. 4(8): EAAT3681. Read paper – Blog post – Press release

Wealthy countries dominate industrial fishing

McCauley, DJ, C Jablonicky, E.H. Allison, C.D. Golden, F.H. Joyce, J Mayorga, and D Kroodsma. 2018. Wealthy countries dominate industrial fishing. Science Advances. 4(8):EAAU2161. Read paper – Press release

Global hot spots of transshipment of fish catch at sea

Boerder, K, NA Miller, B Worm. 2018. Global hot spots of transshipment of fish catch at sea. Science Advances. 4(7), eaat7159. Read paper – Press release

Identifying Global Patterns of Transshipment Behavior

Miller NA, A Roan, T Hochberg , J Amos and DA Kroodsma. 2018. Identifying Global Patterns of Transshipment Behavior. Front. Mar. Sci. 5:240. Read paper – Blog post – Press release

The Economics of High Seas Fishing

Sala, E, J Mayorga, C Costello, D Kroodsma, M.L.D. Palomares, D Pauly, U.R. Sumaila, D Zeller. 2018. The Economics of High Seas Fishing. Science Advances. 4(6), eaat2504. Read paper – Blog post– TED Talk – National Geographic special feature

Empowering High Seas Governance with Satellite Vessel Tracking Data

Dunn, DC, C Jablonicky, GO Crespo, DJ McCauley, DA Kroodsma, K Boerder, KM Gjerde, PN Halpin. 2018. Empowering High Seas Governance with Satellite Vessel Tracking Data. Fish and Fisheries. 19(4), 729-739. Read paper

Rapid and lasting gains from solving illegal fishing

Cabral, RB, J Mayorga, M Clemence, J Lynham, S Koeshendrajana, U Muawanah, D Nugroho, Z Anna, Mira, A Ghofar, N Zulbainarni, S Gaines, C Costello. 2018. Rapid and lasting gains from solving illegal fishing. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 2: 650–658. Read paper – Blog post

Tracking the global footprint of fisheries

Kroodsma, DA, J Mayorga, T Hochberg, NA Miller, K Boerder, F Ferretti, A Wilson, B Bergman, TD White, BA Block, P Woods, B Sullivan, C Costello, B Worm. 2018. Tracking the Global Footprint of Fisheries. Science. 359, 6378: 904-908. Read paper – Paper Summary – Data Interactive

Protecting Marine World Heritage from space

Kroodsma, DA, Sullivan B. Protecting Marine World Heritage from space. 2016. The Future of the World Heritage Convention for marine conservation: celebrating 10 years of the World Heritage Marine Programme. 35-48. Read paper

The Global View of Transshipment: Revised Preliminary Findings

Kroodsma, DA, NA Miller, A Roan. 2017. The Global View of Transshipment: Revised Preliminary Findings. Global Fishing Watch, SkyTruth. Read paper – Blog post

Assessing the effectiveness of a large marine protected area for reef shark conservation

White, TD, AB Carlisle, DA Kroodsma, BA Block, R Casagrandi, GD De Leo, M Gatto, F. Micheli, DJ McCauley. Assessing the effectiveness of a large marine protected area for reef shark conservation. Biological Conservation. 207: 64–71. Read paper – Blog post

Satellite tracking to monitor area-based management tools & identify governance gaps in fisheries beyond national jurisdiction

Jablonicky, C, D McCauley, D Kroodsma, K Boerder, D Dunn. 2016. Satellite tracking to monitor area-based management tools & identify governance gaps in fisheries beyond national jurisdiction. Policy Brief. Nereus Program. Read paper