Where we work

A Global Footprint of Engagement

To support our vision of creating a healthy, productive and resilient ocean where transparency drives fair and effective governance of marine resources, Global Fishing Watch works closely with national governments and multilateral institutions to improve management decisions, combat illegal fishing and safeguard biodiversity.

Our approach is built on the concept of transparency—the act of making information, including ocean and vessel data and their related policies, available and accessible to everyone it affects. We seek to engage governments and secure commitments across five areas:

 

  • Capacity development and Technology Transfer: Delivering deep and dedicated training and development to support achievement of government actions.
  • Operational support: Supporting enforcement patrols, fisheries monitoring, implementation of the Port State Measures Agreement, and monitoring, control and surveillance activities.
  • Marine protection: Supporting the designation, monitoring and management of marine protected areas or other effective conservation measures.
  • Vessel information: Securing commitments to publicly share identification, registration, authorizations, or transshipment and ownership information.
  • Vessel tracking: Securing vessel monitoring system data or helping mandate the use of automatic identification systems

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Albania

Global Fishing Watch is working with Albania through the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean, successfully supporting the designation of a fishing restricted area in the Strait of Otranto to protect a hotspot of deep sea coral in the Southern Adriatic Sea. Through a shared work plan, we will assist Albania with improved capacity for fisheries management and better monitoring, control and surveillance.

Azores

Global Fishing Watch is working with the Azores—an archipelago of nine volcanic islands—through the Waitt Foundation and Blue Azores to support the government in protecting 30% of its exclusive economic zone. To bolster the autonomous region’s efforts in designating a network of marine protected areas to meet the global 30×30 target, the organizations are employing Marine Manager to better understand fishing activity around the proposed protected areas and inform a transition assistance plan to help local fishers that may be affected by the designations.

Belize

In March 2022, more than 50 high seas vessels—composed of tuna purse-seine, trawling and longline—became visible on the Global Fishing Watch map thanks to a data sharing agreement with the Belizean Government. In addition to publishing the country’s vessel monitoring system data, we have also provided the country with vessel risk analyses to help them satisfy their flag State responsibilities.

Benin

Following a successful pilot program, Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls, Global Fishing Watch and TMT are working with Benin to deliver technical assistance in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement. In 2022, the West African nation also committed to establishing a vessel monitoring system to track its fishing fleet and agreed to share its tracking data on the Global Fishing Watch map. We are also working through the Joint Analytical Cell and the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea to support the country’s enforcement operations.

Brazil

Global Fishing Watch enhances fisheries management and sustainability in Brazil through transparency, vessel tracking, and capacity building. Learn more

Chile

Global Fishing Watch works with Chile to advance transparency and bolster responsible fisheries management through vessel tracking, capacity development and marine protection. Learn more

Colombia

Global Fishing Watch is supporting Colombia through a collaboration with its National Natural Parks agency to safeguard their marine protected areas, including CMAR, a cluster of protected areas that span the waters of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor. Using Marine Manager to enhance the management of these rich protected areas, and also working in conjunction with the Joint Analytical Cell, our tools and data are informing management plans, facilitating compliance, and supporting monitoring, control and surveillance across the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Costa Rica

Since January 2022, more than 100 industrial fishing vessels have been visible on the Global Fishing Watch map, thanks to a data sharing agreement with the Costa Rican Government. We are also supporting the Latin American country through a collaboration with the National System of Conservation Areas to protect Cocos Island and the Bicentennial Marine Management area, both of which help comprise CMAR, a cluster of marine protected areas that span the waters of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor. Using Marine Manager to safeguard biodiversity within these rich waters and also working through the Joint Analytical Cell, we support the management, monitoring, control and surveillance of the country’s marine protected areas.

Côte d’Ivoire

Global Fishing Watch and TMT collaborated with Côte d’Ivoire as part of a pilot program called “Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls.” The initiative delivered technical assistance to four African countries in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement. Using Vessel Viewer, Côte d’Ivoire was able to share crucial information with regional organizations, which directly led to several vessel infractions and sanctions by the coastal and flag States. We are also working through the Joint Analytical Cell and the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea to support the country’s enforcement operations.

Ecuador

Since October 2021, approximately 700 industrial fishing vessels have been visible on the Global Fishing Watch map thanks to a data sharing agreement with the Ecuadorian Government. And as part of our work with the Galapagos National Park Directorate to protect CMAR—a cluster of marine protected areas that span the waters of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor—we support Ecuador’s management and monitoring of the Galapagos Marine Reserve. By harnessing Marine Manager and also working through the Joint Analytical Cell, we are informing management plans, safeguarding biodiversity and helping facilitate compliance across the country’s protected areas.

Gabon

Global Fishing Watch supports Gabon in its efforts to combat illegal fishing and advance fisheries transparency through satellite technology and regional partnerships. Learn more

Ghana

Global Fishing Watch and TMT collaborated with Ghana as part of a pilot program called “Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls.” The initiative delivered technical assistance to four African countries in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement. We are also working through the Joint Analytical Cell and the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea to support the Ghanaian Navy and fisheries department with pre-operation briefings and live operational support to their enforcement operations.

Greece

In April 2024 at the 9th Our Ocean Conference, the Government of Greece announced a collaboration with Global Fishing Watch to use Marine Manager to support the implementation of a scientific monitoring and surveillance system for all of its marine protected areas.

Guinea

Following a successful pilot program, Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls, Global Fishing Watch and TMT are working with Guinea to deliver technical assistance in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement. The two organizations are also providing training workshops to help the West African nation better understand and integrate the use of satellite technologies into their monitoring, control and surveillance efforts.

Guyana

To help protect its waters and monitor vessel traffic from a growing oil and gas industry, Guyana entered a collaboration with Global Fishing Watch to pilot Marine Manager. The innovative technology portal will also prove beneficial to the country’s vibrant fisheries sector, improving knowledge and oversight of activities taking place inside its ~53,000 square mile exclusive economic zone.

Japan

Global Fishing Work has been collaborating with the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency to better monitor and understand fishing activity across Japanese waters. In 2020, the two organizations, along with several other institutions, led an effort that harnessed satellite technologies to illuminate a fleet of vessels illegally fishing in disputed waters. Since then, the collaboration has provided the Japanese government and researchers with vessel monitoring analyses and investigations.

Kenya

Global Fishing Watch and TMT collaborated with Kenya as part of a pilot program called “Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls.” The initiative delivered technical assistance to four African countries in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement. Global Fishing Watch has also provided Kenya Fisheries Service with pre-operations briefing to support the tasking of offshore enforcement assets, which resulted in administrative action against two trawl vessels guilty of gear violations. The Joint Analytical Cell (JAC) is building on this success by training in-country stakeholders to use the initiative’s open-access tools to independently plan intelligence-led enforcement operations. On request of the fisheries service, the JAC also provided an intelligence report summarizing the activities of two Kenyan-flagged fishing vessels suspected of fishing illegally in Madagascan waters—one vessel was fined and seized by Madagascan authorities.

Republic of Madagascar

Following a successful pilot program, Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls, Global Fishing Watch and TMT are working with Guinea to deliver technical assistance in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement. With support from Blue Ventures, we are also providing the island country with trainings to utilize our tools in monitoring, control and surveillance efforts and fishing effort assessments within their exclusive economic zone.

Montenegro

Global Fishing Watch collaborates with Montenegro to foster transparency and support the sustainable management of fisheries. Learn more

Morocco

Global Fishing Watch works with Morocco to enhance sustainable fisheries management and support marine protected areas. Learn more

Niue

In 2020, Global Fishing Watch partnered with Niue—a Polynesian island in the South Pacific—to pilot Marine Manager, an innovative technology portal that supports the effective design, monitoring and enforcement of marine protected areas.

Norway

In March 2023, the activity of more than 450 Norwegian-flagged vessels became visible on the Global Fishing Watch map thanks to a data-sharing agreement with Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries. We also provide the European country with vessel risk analyses to support their fulfilment of flag State responsibilities. Norway is one of Global Fishing Watch’s key partners in pursuit of an international agreement on vessel tracking through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.

Panama

Global Fishing Watch works closely with Panama to enhance fisheries transparency, combat illegal fishing and support sustainable ocean governance through advanced monitoring, data sharing and capacity development. Learn more

Papua New Guinea

Global Fishing Watch works with Papua New Guinea to advance the sustainable management of fisheries and foster transparency practices through enhanced vessel monitoring and support of at-sea patrols. Learn more

Peru

Global Fishing Watch collaborates with Peru to advance fisheries transparency by helping it publicly share vessel tracking data and support policies that enhance ocean governance and sustainable fishing practices. Learn more

Philippines

Global Fishing Watch is working through the Joint Analytical Cell to deliver technical assistance to the Philippines in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building in support of national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement.

Senegal

Global Fishing Watch supports Senegal in its efforts to bolster fisheries governance and combat illegal fishing through improved vessel tracking and strong regional cooperation. Learn more

Republic of Seychelles

Global Fishing Watch is working with the Republic of Seychelles through the Joint Analytical Cell to develop the archipelagic State’s capacity to use vessel tracking information and remote sensing data to enhance its fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance. To support the Seychelles Fishing Authority, we provided trainings on the use of maritime domain awareness tools to inform routine monitoring and enforcement activities and provide input on the development of standard operating procedures around these actions.

South Korea

In 2020, Global Fishing Watch collaborated with the Korea Maritime Institute, along with several other institutions, to publish research that harnessed satellite technologies to illuminate a fleet of vessels illegally fishing in disputed waters. The international team of researchers revealed more than 900 large vessels of Chinese origin fishing in North Korean waters—undetected in public monitoring systems and in violation of U.N. sanctions.

Chinese Taipei

Harnessing innovative data analysis and international cooperation, Global Fishing Watch is supporting Chinese Taipei in its efforts to combat illegal fishing, promote sustainable fisheries management and enhance the transparency of its vast fleet. Learn more

Togo

Following a successful pilot program, Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls, Global Fishing Watch and TMT are working with Togo to deliver technical assistance in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement. We are also working through the Joint Analytical Cell and the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea to support the country’s enforcement operations.

United States

Global Fishing Watch has supported the United States Coast Guard with data and analysis for at-sea patrols in the North Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. We have also engaged in collaborative efforts with the coast guard’s research and development center to advance the knowledge, detection and deterrence of illegal fishing. Since 2022, our Events API has been integrated into the Department of Transportation’s Seavision platform, an online maritime situational awareness tool that supports international maritime operations. And in 2022, we also partnered with the Defense Innovation Unit to host the XView3 competition, which called on participants to employ computer vision and synthetic aperture radar imagery to detect vessels that were invisible to monitoring systems.

Vietnam

Global Fishing Watch works with the Vietnamese government to enhance data-driven fisheries management, improve vessel tracking systems and combat illegal fishing. Learn more

Ascension Island

In 2020, Global Fishing Watch partnered with Ascension Island—a U.K. Overseas Territory—to pilot Marine Manager, an innovative technology portal that supports the effective design, monitoring and enforcement of marine protected areas. Responsible for safeguarding its 445,000 square kilometer protected area in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the conservation and fisheries directorate uses Marine Manager to see what is happening across their vast exclusive economic zone and protect the wildlife and biodiversity unique to Ascension.

Tristan da Cunha

In 2020, Global Fishing Watch partnered with Tristan da Cunha—the world’s most remote inhabited island—to pilot Marine Manager, an innovative technology portal that supports the effective design, monitoring and enforcement of marine protected areas. While the portal is helping managers monitor compliance with existing regulations, identify areas of potential bycatch risk for albatross populations, and monitor the interannual movements of longline fisheries in response to changing oceanographic conditions, they are also eager to see how the tool can be used to inform its fisheries management strategy.

Nigeria

Following a successful pilot program, Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls, Global Fishing Watch and TMT are working with a multi-agency working group in Nigeria to deliver technical assistance in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement.

Liberia

Following a successful pilot program, Intelligence-Led Fisheries Port Controls, Global Fishing Watch and TMT are working with a multi-agency working group in Liberia to deliver technical assistance in the form of analysis, tools and capacity building aimed at supporting national efforts to implement the Port State Measures Agreement.