Our Ocean Conference Science and Research Symposium Poster: Satellite Imagery Reveals Small-Scale Fishing Activity and Industrial Encroachment

Global Fishing Watch has revealed a powerful new approach to mapping previously hidden fishing activity. Presenting at the 2026 Our Ocean Conference Science & Research Symposium in Mombasa, Kenya, our chief scientist showcased how advances in high-resolution satellite imagery are shedding light on small-scale fisheries across Africa. These fleets, which have long remained invisible to traditional monitoring systems, can now be tracked with unprecedented detail, marking a major milestone for equitable and sustainable fisheries management.

The challenge of mapping small-scale fisheries
Across Africa, small-scale fisheries are the lifeblood of coastal communities, sustaining millions of livelihoods and driving local food security and economic growth. Yet, they are often absent from the data used to inform ocean management and conservation decisions. This is largely because many small-scale vessels are not required to be equipped with tracking systems and their fishing activity is dispersed across thousands of landing sites and remote coastal areas, making it difficult to monitor and manage at scale. 

Throughout Africa, many countries have established preferential access areas (PAAs) intended to protect small-scale fishers from competition with industrial fleets in coastal waters. Until now, however, there has been little visibility into whether these zones effectively protect the communities they were created to support.

Bringing visibility to coastal ocean management
By leveraging Planet’s high-resolution satellite imagery, Global Fishing Watch is revealing fishing patterns like never before — mapping both small-scale and industrial fishing activity across the continent to pinpoint exactly where the two sectors overlap. 

Our findings paint a nuanced picture. While industrial fishing vessels generally respect African PAA boundaries, these legally protected zones often fail to align with where small-scale fishers actually operate. In many countries, especially those in West Africa, smaller vessels routinely venture en masse outside the designated PAAs, entering waters where they directly compete with industrial vessels. 

The analysis presented at the Our Ocean Conference can now offer African governments new information. By identifying exactly where small-scale vessels and industrial fishers clash, we can equip policymakers with the insights needed to redraw or expand PAAs, ensuring coastal communities are better protected

More than mapping: how data-driven tools can drive ecosystem protection
Beyond mapping the overlap between small-scale and industrial fleets, this rich dataset reveals a broader picture of maritime activity across the African continent, including 1,000 previously undocumented small-vessel anchorages. The information on where vessels dock and operate creates an unprecedented dataset to support fisheries management, marine spatial planning and coastal protection efforts. 

The imagery also shows where small-scale fishing and recreational boats are active in marine protected areas and other critical habitats, providing a clearer understanding of human impacts on sensitive ecosystems. This new level of visibility enables governments, researchers and conservation practitioners to better understand the pressures facing coastal environments and make more informed management decisions.

Global Fishing Watch’s work demonstrates how satellite technology, artificial intelligence and open data can help close longstanding information gaps around small-scale fisheries, supporting more equitable, transparent and evidence-based ocean governance.