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At Our Ocean Conference, Global Fishing Watch welcomes international partnerships to enhance ocean management

ATHENS, Greece, April 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Fishing Watch, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through transparency of human activity at sea, has announced three pioneering collaborations with Greece, Panama and the West African Sub–Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) in a bid to harness technology and data–driven solutions for enhanced transparency, improved fisheries management and greater ocean sustainability.

The partnerships, unveiled at the 9th Our Ocean Conference held in Athens, Greece, will leverage open data to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, promote sustainable fisheries management and enable marine protection through deepened engagement with governmental bodies spanning three continents. In addition, they will provide Global Fishing Watch the opportunity to highlight transparency as a critical marine management tool and advance policy reforms regarding the adoption of vessel tracking methods like automatic identification systems (AIS) and vessel monitoring systems (VMS), as well as regional data sharing practices. 

“Today’s announcements mark a milestone in our collaborative efforts to mobilize open data and technology in the fight against illegal fishing and toward improved global fisheries management,” said Tony Long, chief executive officer of Global Fishing Watch. “More importantly, our expanding network of partnerships shows that governments and multilateral institutions are increasingly recognizing the role Global Fishing Watch can play in achieving better and more transparent ocean governance.” 

“Collaborative partnerships, political will and open data can drive tangible impact and help deliver lasting results for a sustainable ocean future for all,” Mr. Long added. 

Leveraging Technology for Ocean Action

Presented at an official conference side event co–hosted by Greece, the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation and Global Fishing Watch, the partnership with Greece commits authorities to utilizing Global Fishing Watch’s platform, which provides visualizations and analysis of fishing activity, for critical support in bolstering the country’s marine protection efforts.

“Greece commits to establishing a scientific monitoring and surveillance system for all its marine protected areas that will be supported with advanced monitoring techniques and digital tools, such as remote sensing and automatic communication with sea vessels,” Dr. Petros Varelidis, Secretary–General for Natural Environment and Waters of the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy, confirmed. “The support of Global Fishing Watch and the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation will enable us to monitor fishing activity in near real–time.” 

A ‘significant step forward’ against IUU fishing

The Our Ocean Conference also welcomed a new partnership between Global Fishing Watch and the seven West African SRFC Member States comprising Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea– Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Through the new three–year agreement with SRFC, Global Fishing Watch will support Member States with analysis and generated insights to inform targeted monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) actions, bolstering countries’ abilities to manage activity in their waters and safeguard livelihoods and regional economic and environmental ecosystems. 

The 5,500 kilometer coastline of West Africa is home to some of the most diverse fisheries in the world and maritime activity plays a key role across the region. Indeed, fisheries and aquaculture directly contribute US$24 billion to the African economy, with the demand for fish expected to increase by 30 percent by 2030. Inadequate monitoring and enforcement, however, have led to rampant IUU fishing, with nearly 40 percent of fish caught illegally, resulting in substantial economic losses and environmental degradation.  

“The collaboration with Global Fishing Watch represents a significant step forward in the fight against illegal fishing in West Africa,” said Dr. Khallahi Brahim, Permanent Secretary of the Sub–Regional Fisheries Commission. “By joining forces, Global Fishing Watch and the SRFC can help transform fisheries governance, protect marine resources and secure the livelihoods of millions of people dependent on the fishing industry.”

The new partnership will work to ensure that SRFC Member States are fully equipped for better cooperation, monitoring and compliance, and also help establish cross–cutting initiatives with key stakeholders in ocean governance. The collaboration will pave the way for policy reforms and seek to establish AIS usage and data sharing as central pillars of SRFC Member States’ governance practices. It will also support government agencies in developing and retaining capacity to harness data and technology to strengthen management, including MCS, enforcement and marine protection. 

Charting a new era of ocean governance

Global Fishing Watch’s activity on the margins of the Our Ocean Conference also saw the renewal of an ongoing collaboration with the Government of Panama, first launched in 2019, aimed at building an improved, collaborative framework for data–sharing and policy development.  

The updated agreement reflects a deepened relationship between the two parties and a growing commitment to fisheries transparency. Supplementing the VMS data of its vast international fleet, which has been visible on the Global Fishing Watch map since October 2019, Panama will now share vessel data from its list of international licenses, including fishing licenses, areas of operation and information related to fishing support vessels. Over the next five years, Global Fishing Watch will also provide technical and data–driven assessments for the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama to help inform national policies and regulations related to fisheries management.

“We are pleased to announce the renewal of the memorandum of understanding with Global Fishing Watch in our tireless fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” said Hamed Tuñón, General Administrator, Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama. “Our strengthened alliance reflects the continued commitment of both parties to protecting our oceans and preserving their biodiversity. Together, we will continue to use innovative technology and collaborative strategies to ensure the sustainability of our valuable marine resources.” 

“Now, more than ever, the global community must rally behind landmark initiatives to protect our ocean, combat harmful practices, and achieve ambitious conservation targets such as safeguarding at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030,” Mr. Long concluded. “Achieving these critical commitments will be virtually impossible without Global Fishing Watch’s innovative ocean monitoring technology and expertise.”

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9090876)

New research harnesses AI and satellite imagery to reveal the expanding footprint of human activity at sea

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new study published today in the journal Nature offers an unprecedented view of previously unmapped industrial use of the ocean and how it is changing.

The groundbreaking study, led by Global Fishing Watch, uses machine learning and satellite imagery to create the first global map of large vessel traffic and offshore infrastructure, finding a remarkable amount of activity that was previously “dark” to public monitoring systems.

The analysis reveals that about 75 percent of the world’s industrial fishing vessels are not publicly tracked, with much of that fishing taking place around Africa and south Asia. More than 25 percent of transport and energy vessel activity are also missing from public tracking systems.

“A new industrial revolution has been emerging in our seas undetected—until now,” said David Kroodsma, director of research and innovation at Global Fishing Watch and co–lead author of the study. “On land, we have detailed maps of almost every road and building on the planet. In contrast, growth in our ocean has been largely hidden from public view. This study helps eliminate the blind spots and shed light on the breadth and intensity of human activity at sea.” 

Researchers from Global Fishing Watch, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Duke University, UC Santa Barbara and SkyTruth analyzed 2 million gigabytes of satellite imagery spanning 2017–2021 to detect vessels and offshore infrastructure in coastal waters across six continents where more than three–quarters of industrial activity is concentrated.

By synthesizing GPS data with five years of radar and optical imagery, the researchers were able to identify vessels that failed to broadcast their positions. Using machine learning, they then concluded which of those vessels were likely engaged in fishing activity.

“Historically, vessel activity has been poorly documented, limiting our understanding of how the world’s largest public resource—the ocean—is being used,” said co–lead author Fernando Paolo, senior machine learning engineer at Global Fishing Watch. “By combining space technology with state–of–the–art machine learning, we mapped undisclosed industrial activity at sea on a scale never done before.”

While not all boats are legally required to broadcast their position, vessels absent from public monitoring systems, often termed “dark fleets,” pose major challenges for protecting and managing natural resources. Researchers found numerous dark fishing vessels inside many marine protected areas, and a high concentration of vessels in many countries’ waters that previously showed little–to–no vessel activity by public monitoring systems.

“Publicly available data wrongly suggests that Asia and Europe have similar amounts of fishing within their borders, but our mapping reveals that Asia dominates—for every 10 fishing vessels we found on the water, seven were in Asia while only one was in Europe,” said co–author Jennifer Raynor, assistant professor of natural resource economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “By revealing dark vessels, we have created the most comprehensive public picture of global industrial fishing available.” 

The study also shows how human activity in the ocean is changing. Coinciding with the COVID–19 pandemic, fishing activity dropped globally by about 12 percent, with an 8 percent decline in China and a 14 percent drop elsewhere. In contrast, transport and energy vessel activity remained stable.

Offshore energy development surged during the study period. Oil structures increased by 16 percent, while wind turbines more than doubled. By 2021, turbines outnumbered oil platforms. China’s offshore wind energy had the most striking growth, increasing ninefold from 2017 to 2021.

“The footprint of the Anthropocene is no longer limited to terra firma,” said co–author Patrick Halpin, professor of marine geospatial ecology at Duke University. “Having a more complete view of ocean industrialization allows us to see new growth in offshore wind, aquaculture and mining that is rapidly being added to established industrial fishing, shipping and oil and gas activities. Our work reveals that the global ocean is a busy, crowded and complex industrial workspace of the growing blue economy.” 

The study highlights the potential of this new technology to tackle climate change. Mapping all vessel traffic will improve estimates of greenhouse gas emissions at sea, while maps of infrastructure can inform wind development or aid in tracking marine degradation caused by oil exploration.

“Identifying offshore infrastructure is critical for understanding offshore energy development impacts and trends, and is crucial data for our work to detect marine pollution events and hold responsible parties to account,” said co–author Christian Thomas, a geospatial engineer at SkyTruth.  

The open data and technology used in the study can help governments, researchers and civil society to identify hotspots of potentially illegal activity, determine where industrial fishing vessels may be encroaching on artisanal fishing grounds, or simply better understand vessel traffic in their waters.

“Previously, this type of satellite monitoring was only available to those who could pay for it. Now it is freely available to all nations,” concluded Kroodsma. “This study marks the beginning of a new era in ocean management and transparency.”

The study was made possible thanks to the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, National Geographic Pristine Seas and Oceankind, and our technology partner, Google. As an awardee of The Audacious Project, a collaborative funding initiative that is catalyzing social impact on a grand scale, Global Fishing Watch is able to further the application of this innovative work.

Notes to the editor:

  • Download supporting data visualizations and figures from the paper here: Media kit
  • Download the data at: https://globalfishingwatch.org/datasets–and–code 
  • Data providers: The co–authors of the study wish to acknowledge the contribution from the following technology and data providers; AIS: Spire, ORBCOMM; Radar and optical imagery: European Space Agency (ESA); and Computing resources: Google / Earth Engine.

Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9012061)

Global Fishing Watch to reveal all human activity at sea with investment through The Audacious Project

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Fishing Watch has received a five–year USD $60 million commitment through The Audacious Project to leverage open data and emerging technology to revolutionize global ocean management. Over the next five years, the ocean conservation nonprofit will publicly map more than one million ocean–going vessels and all fixed infrastructure at sea.

Housed within TED, a nonprofit dedicated to "ideas worth spreading," The Audacious Project selects a cohort of projects every year that represent bold solutions to critical challenges facing the world. By connecting these ambitious initiatives with an inspiring group of donors and supporters, The Audacious Project helps accelerate big ideas and amplify the overall impact of the work.

Global Fishing Watch's chief executive officer, Tony Long, delivered a TED Talk released on World Ocean Day (June 8) describing the organization's pioneering project to map and monitor all industrial activity at sea and make this knowledge freely available to the world.

“Shockingly, little is known about human activity taking place across more than two–thirds of our planet's surface. This must change if we're to restore our ocean's health,” said Tony Long, chief executive officer at Global Fishing Watch. “We're honored to receive this catalytic funding through The Audacious Project, which clearly signals support for our innovative technology to tackle the urgent crisis in our ocean. With this investment, we can transform how we manage the ocean by making the invisible visible."

Founded in 2015 as a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth and Google, Global Fishing Watch has demonstrated the power of artificial intelligence and satellite data to shine a light on global fishing activity. The nonprofit built the first–ever map to visualize and publicly track industrial fishing vessels""some 70,000 boats""in near real–time.

Under this open ocean project, Global Fishing Watch will combine GPS data with millions of gigabytes of satellite imagery and use machine learning to publicly display the activity of all industrial fishing vessels and hundreds of thousands of small–scale fishing boats and cargo ships. It will also map all stationary infrastructure at sea like aquaculture pens, wind farms and oil rigs, opening an online window onto our impact across our blue planet for the first time.

"Today, anyone can freely access satellite imagery to explore every road and building on land with just a few clicks of a mouse. We want to do the same for the ocean: create a complete, dynamic map of all industrial activity at sea that's free for anyone to view and use," said David Kroodsma, director of research and innovation with Global Fishing Watch. "Our initiative is audacious. It is new, big and bold. We're driven by the potential for impact""and that potential is hugely exciting."

Ocean stewardship efforts have been hampered by the absence of accurate and actionable information. Many governments lack the resources needed to process and analyze data on where and when their boats are fishing and what they are catching, or monitor other human activity at sea. The open ocean project will unleash a new wave of open data and transparency in ocean governance.

"To protect the ocean, we need to see and understand everything that happens at sea. And we need to empower institutions and people to act on that knowledge," added Paolo Domondon, chief program officer with Global Fishing Watch. "We'll enable governments to improve the management of their waters to better protect the marine environment and the people who rely on it "" both by using our technology platform and by co–creating tools that meet their own specific needs."

The project will receive $60 million in funding from multiple donors, including the Acton Family Giving, Ballmer Group, Becht Foundation, Oak Foundation, Laura and Gary Lauder and Family, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, MacKenzie Scott, Sea Grape Foundation and Valhalla Foundation, among others.

“The audacious work being done by Global Fishing Watch will transform how we see the ocean and our place in it. We are running out of time to protect this important life support system and the marine biodiversity that we all depend on,” said Anna Verghese, executive director at The Audacious Project. “We are excited about the change Global Fishing Watch will catalyze over the coming years with this surge in support.”

Ultimately, Global Fishing Watch aims to raise an additional USD $60 million to match funds secured through The Audacious Project, which will support the organization's international program working with governments and civil society to harness open data and usher in a new era of transparency toward ocean governance. The investment from new donors along with established funding partners such as Bloomberg Philanthropies and Oceankind are generating momentum toward the organization's goal.

"Understanding human activity and its impacts on the ocean is critical not only for the health of marine ecosystems and the people who depend on them but preserving our planet against the threats of climate change," said Antha Williams, who leads the environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "Global Fishing Watch's long standing partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Oceana, the Outlaw Ocean Project, and others has helped transform how our ocean is managed. This new investment in cutting–edge technology will help uncover even more vital data to protect valuable resources, promote sustainable practices, and mitigate the effects of climate change."

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Notes to the editor:

Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all. globalfishingwatch.org

The Audacious Project: Launched in April 2018, The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative that's catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Housed at TED, the nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, The Audacious Project convenes funders and social entrepreneurs with the goal of supporting bold solutions to the world's most urgent challenges. The funding collective is made up of respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy, including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ELMA Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, MacKenzie Scott, Skoll Foundation, Valhalla Foundation, and more. Each year The Audacious Project supports a new cohort. The 2023 grantees are CAMFED, Canopy, Clean Slate Initiative, Global Fishing Watch, Innovative Genomics Institute, Jan Sahas' Migrants Resilience Collaborative, ReNew2030, Restore Local, Think of Us, and Upstream USA.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8854515)

New research reveals shifting identities of global fishing fleet to help bolster fisheries management

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new study published today in Science Advances combines a decade's worth of satellite vessel tracking data with identification information from more than 40 public registries to determine where and when vessels responsible for most of the world's industrial fishing change their country of registration, a practice known as "reflagging", and identify hotspots of potential unauthorized fishing and activity of foreign–owned vessels.

Using big data processing and a compilation of global datasets, researchers from Global Fishing Watch, the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab from Duke University, and Stockholm Resilience Centre were able to track and analyze 35,000 commercial fishing and support vessels to reveal their changing identities and enable the reconstruction of vessel histories to demonstrate reflagging patterns.

The study, "Tracking Elusive and Shifting Identities of the Global Fishing Fleet'' found that close to 20 percent of high seas fishing is carried out by vessels that are either internationally unregulated or not publicly authorized, with large concentrations of these ships operating in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean and the western Indian Ocean.

The data used in the study is intended to complement the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels, a flagship transparency initiative which serves as the official database of information on vessels used for fishing and fishing–related activities. Together with the International Maritime Organization's ship identification number scheme, these resources can provide fisheries authorities with the information needed to adequately monitor vessel activity, implement flag State responsibilities, and inform responsible fisheries management.

"Until now, we've had limited information linking together the identity and activity of specific vessels," said Jaeyoon Park, senior data scientist at Global Fishing Watch and lead author of the study. "When a vessel's identity is changed, it makes tracking them all the more difficult, allowing bad actors the opportunity to take advantage of information gaps and avoid oversight. We need to close that loophole."

Of the 116 States involved in reflagging, the study found that one–fifth of them were responsible for about 80 percent of this practice over the past decade, with most reflagging occurring in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. The study found that reflagging takes place in just a few ports""Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Busan, Zhoushan, and Kaohsiung have the highest activity. Vessels are often reflagged to States that are unrelated to the ports in which they are changing their registrations. This means that a vessel can change its flag from one country to another without ever having to enter port in either of those countries.

While there are legitimate reasons for a vessel to change its identity, abusive reflagging, or "flag hopping," is one way that operators avoid oversight. The study found that fleets with prevalent reflagging are over five times more likely to be composed of vessels under foreign ownership which are often registered to "flags of convenience," defined by the International Transport Workers' Federation as countries that offer foreign shipowners the ability to register, or fly the flag, of their own State.

While reflagging and foreign ownership are lawful, when not properly regulated and monitored, they can indicate a risk of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. IUU fishing accounts for as much as 20 percent of the global seafood catch with annual losses valued at up to $23.5 billion.

"Knowing the identities of vessels fishing the high seas is critical for uncovering the connection between the potential IUU fishing behavior and vessels that repeatedly change their name, flag State or registered owner," said co–author Gabrielle Carmine, a doctoral candidate at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. "This analysis could be used to help monitor fisheries more effectively and for accountability in the use and protection of marine biodiversity.”

The study also identified concentrations of fishing activity by foreign–owned vessels, which are focused in parts of the high seas and certain national waters, including the southwest Pacific, the northwest Indian Ocean, Argentina and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), and West Africa where vessels are typically owned by China, Chinese Taipei, and Spain. The hotspots in this study correspond to the areas in which multiple nongovernmental organizations have called for better governance systems.

"By synthesizing more than 100 billion GPS positions with consolidated identity information from 200,000 vessels, we were able to reveal patterns about vessel activity from the past decade," added Park. "This study represents a major step forward in our ability to enhance monitoring efforts and help authorities direct enforcement resources."

The data used in this study will be periodically updated and shared publicly to help enable better understanding of vessel behavior and bolster international fisheries management.

Notes to the editor:

  • Download data visualizations, video, and figures from the paper here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11T–UNkRQmlktINuTw5ufurNFuzAIxTu8?usp=share_link
  • Data visualization caption: Data analysis in this study's assessment of fishing compliance revealed hotspots of fishing activity by foreign–owned vessels in the southwest Pacific, the west Indian oceans, and certain national waters.
  • About vessel identity data: The data used to determine vessel identities in this study were based on public registries. A lack of vessel identity information exists at the national level, while the high seas are predominantly covered by registries published by regional fisheries management organizations. The identity data used in this study has more extensive coverage for vessels that are 24 meters and longer, as these vessels are more likely to be registered to national or international public registries than smaller ones.
  • About AIS data: First developed as a collision–avoidance system, AIS is essential to vessel and crew safety. But AIS is easily manipulated, as it can simply be switched off or allow the transmission of false information, such as a vessel's name, type or location. Currently there is no global mandate for all fishing vessels to broadcast on AIS. And due to the varying quality of satellite reception by region, there is also unequal coverage of AIS data throughout the world. Most vessels larger than 24 meters are equipped with AIS while only a small fraction of vessels smaller than 24 meters use AIS, resulting in limitations in AIS data.
  • Paper citation: J. Park, J. Van Osdel, J. Turner, C. M. Farthing, N. A. Miller, H. L. Linder, G. Ortuo Crespo, G. Carmine, D. A. Kroodsma, Tracking elusive and shifting identities of the global fishing fleet. Sci. Adv. 9, eabp8200 (2023).
  • Download the data at: https://globalfishingwatch.org/data–download/datasets/public–vessel–identity:v20230118

Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8732331)

Norway makes fishing vessel data accessible to the world

Lisbon, Portugal, June 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Norway has become the first country in Europe to partner with Global Fishing Watch""an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency""and will share its vessel tracking data for the Norwegian fishing fleet on the organization's public map.

The announcement was made at the second United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal where countries from around the world are gathering to mobilize action and innovative solutions to some of the ocean's most pressing threats.

Under the memorandum of understanding, which was signed between Global Fishing Watch and Norway's Directorate of Fisheries, Norway has agreed to share the vessel monitoring system data for vessels 15 meters or more in length on the Global Fishing Watch map.

"Wild living marine resources are a common good and belong to everyone," said Frank Bakke–Jensen, director general of the Directorate of Fisheries in Norway. "When a commercial fishing fleet is licensed to utilize this common good, we are obliged and committed to share fisheries data documenting the environmental footprint of commercial fishing activity. We hope that others will follow this approach and share more fisheries data."

"We believe that improved transparency of fishing data is necessary to reduce the risk of illegal fisheries and set the groundwork for improved compliance," said Thord Monsen, head of monitoring, control and surveillance at the Directorate of Fisheries.

The incorporated data will span a total of approximately 600 vessels""all vessels 15 meters in length or more predominantly operating in Norwegian waters and the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Norway is currently expanding its VMS requirement to include all commercial fishing vessels, as well as increasing the frequency that vessels need to report their position""a requirement which will be implemented over the coming years in a phased approach.

"We're seeing more and more countries embrace fisheries transparency, demonstrating their understanding of just how essential public data is to the effective management of fishing activity," said Tony Long, chief executive officer of Global Fishing Watch. "Norway has taken a leading global role in the sustainable ocean economy and is using its experience and expertise to promote better ocean governance. By bringing its fishing fleet into our map, Norway is paving the way for other countries, including developed nations, to follow suit."

Since October 2019 Norway has shared its VMS tracking information on the Fisheries Directorate website in support of transparency and as part of an effort to make government data public whenever possible. The partnership with Global Fishing Watch will help make its vessel tracking data more accessible to a wider range of stakeholders""a substantial benefit in the sphere of international fisheries management.

With a coastline of more than 83,000 kilometers, including islands and fjords, the fishing sector is a key element to Norway's economic, social and cultural identity. Norway is the second largest exporter of fish and fish products by value in the world and is home to some of the most productive marine areas in the world. An influential voice when it comes to fisheries issues and a leader on blue economy issues, Norway's decision to partner with Global Fishing Watch and amplify its vessel tracking data demonstrates how fisheries transparency can be adopted in countries where fishing represents such a significant part of the economy.

"Data can be a powerful tool in protecting the environment, as we have seen in our work on climate change. The more data we have about the ocean, the better we can protect it and the people that rely on it. Norway's commitment to making fishing vessel data accessible to the world – via Global Fishing Watch – is a great step forward for ocean transparency,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and "UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions. "Their commitment to data–sharing is a model other countries can follow, and it will help demonstrate the effectiveness – environmentally and economically – of sustainable fishing."

Norway joins a growing number of progressive countries from around the world that are dedicated to advancing, and benefiting from, fisheries transparency, which include: Benin, Brazil, Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all. globalfishingwatch.org

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8581877)

Emerging technology gives first ever global view of hidden vessels

Washington, D.C., June 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Fishing Watch has developed and publicly released the first ever global map of previously undetected dark fleets, or vessels that do not broadcast their location or appear in public monitoring systems.

Powered by satellite radar imagery and machine learning, the map layer is updated daily within the main Global Fishing Watch map application. The portal is available for free to anyone in the world with an internet connection, helping arm authorities, researchers and the public alike with the power to monitor vessel activity in all coastal waters, identify dark fleet patterns and build the necessary understanding to quantify threats to the ocean. The user–friendly new map layer helps create equitable access to marine–related data in time for World Ocean Day on June 8.

The lack of information pertaining to how and where vessels are fishing has clouded our understanding of the true global footprint of fishing activity. This makes meaningful change difficult. To see these impacts, satellite radar technology, known as synthetic aperture radar (SAR), functions day and night in all types of weather and can generate imagery despite cloud cover or storm systems, resulting in detection capabilities that are significantly advanced over other satellite–mounted sensors.

"It is surprising how little we have known to date about the true scale of human activity on the water," said David Kroodsma, director of research and innovation at Global Fishing Watch. "If you combine vessels that intentionally shut off their signal with the significant number of boats that don't make their whereabouts known in public systems at all, you end up with gaps in data, monitoring and accountability. We are using satellite radar imagery to reduce that information gap and put our findings at the fingertips of those who want to ensure our ocean is managed equitably and sustainably."

The new global map layer draws from a massive data–processing pipeline and uses machine learning to crunch petabytes, or millions of gigabytes, of radar imagery taken by the European Space Agency's Sentinel–1 satellites. By analyzing the entire archive of Sentinel–1 radar imagery, Global Fishing Watch has made 20 million detections of sea–going vessels greater than approximately 10 meters in length""and matched these detections to 100 billion GPS points from vessels broadcasting their position on the automatic identification system. This matching differentiates vessels that broadcast their position from those that remain dark in public monitoring systems, resulting in more comprehensive views of vessel movements across the global ocean. This information can help authorities pinpoint areas with suspicious activity and identify vessel patterns that may indicate illegal activity or previously unquantified fishing pressures.

Global Fishing Watch used satellite radar and optical imagery to reveal around 900 vessels of Chinese origin fishing illegally in North Korean waters in violation of United Nations sanctions""the largest known case of illegal fishing by an industrial fleet operating in another nation's waters. Global Fishing Watch has since improved and expanded its use of satellite radar to study previously unseen fishing activity near marine protected areas in the Mediterranean Sea and hotspots of previously hidden activity in coastal waters around Africa. This emerging method of "seeing" vessels is revealing that the ocean is far busier than conventional monitoring systems show.

"While there are often legitimate reasons for not broadcasting a vessel's location""not all governments require it""illegal operators will often turn off their signals to conceal their activity," added Kroodsma. "The use of satellite radar to detect and map previously hidden and potentially illegal or harmful activity has opened a new realm of possibilities for remote sensing and big tech's battle for the environment."

Amplifying the potential of satellite radar technology, Global Fishing Watch partnered with the Defense Innovation Unit in July 2021 to host the xView3 competition. The challenge invited machine learning developers from all over the world to create and submit computer algorithms to help detect dark vessels, drawing 1,900 registrants from 67 countries. Global Fishing Watch is using the winning entries announced earlier this year to refine and advance dark vessel detection methods at global scale, and expects to be able to shed light on many human activities on the ocean in the near future.

"By seeing and characterizing the activity of these expansive dark fleets, we can begin to better understand and quantify not just illegal fishing but a great deal of human activity that is impacting our marine environment," said Paul Woods, chief innovation officer at Global Fishing Watch. "These are exciting times when it comes to open, accessible data that anyone can use for free to understand and advocate for the fragile marine areas they care about most."

About satellite radar imagery: Satellite radar is able to overcome limitations of other satellite–based monitoring systems with its ability to see through rain, darkness and cloud cover. Radar can detect at–sea vessels and structures in any weather conditions and its imaging capabilities make it one of the most powerful tools of remote sensing. Satellite radar is an active sensor that shoots microwaves to the earth surface and measures the amplitude and phase of the signals that are reflected back from objects on the ground and water, known as backscatter. The images formed from this backscatter contain rich information about size, orientation, composition, condition and texture of the features on the water. These imaging systems hold an advantage over passive satellite sensors, such as electro–optical imagery, which is similar to taking a picture with a camera and relies on sunlight and/or the infrared radiation emitted by objects on the ground. This latter method can be confounded by cloud cover, haze, weather events, and seasonal darkness at high latitudes. Satellite radar by comparison has proven to be the most consistent option for detecting vessels at sea.

Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8564231)

New collaboration establishes Joint Analytical Cell in major step forward for fisheries monitoring and enforcement

Washington, D.C., May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new collaboration aims to boost equitable access to vital fisheries intelligence, data analysis and capacity building assistance to help developing maritime States combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Founded by the International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Network, Global Fishing Watch and TMT, the Joint Analytical Cell, or JAC, will harness innovative technology and fisheries expertise to facilitate collaboration among State and non–State actors and transform ocean governance.

The announcement comes in advance of the International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing on June 5 and the second United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in Lisbon, Portugal June 27–July 1at which the Joint Analytical Cell will be showcased by States that recognize the importance of novel collaboration and new technology to help sustainably manage the ocean.

"The establishment of the Joint Analytical Cell marks a sea change in fisheries intelligence and analysis. It will set a precedent for a global shift toward greater use of open data, data analytics, and integrated technology to provide greater transparency of activities occurring in the maritime domain and strengthen fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance efforts," said Mark Young, Executive Director of the International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Network. "Collaboration between States, nonprofits and technology providers can help tackle IUU fishing by providing actionable data, credible intelligence and capacity building to those that need it most, ultimately improving global fisheries management."

IUU fishing causes significant harm to the health and resilience of the ocean, which is crucial in assuring global livelihoods and food security. Costing States millions of dollars in lost revenue and causing untold damage to marine ecosystems, it is also linked to increases in associated crimes, including labor and human rights abuses, as well as broader maritime security challenges.

Technology and transparency of information can drive change at scale in the fight against illegal fishing. But the global community lacks equitable access to the necessary data and tools, and the resources and training required to use them. Management authorities have traditionally relied on proprietary monitoring systems that have limited information sharing and are not available to all States.

In an effort to streamline the various technology and data offerings in the sphere of fisheries intelligence, the JAC seeks to facilitate a more open, collaborative model that will catalyze pooled data and technology, and conduct capacity–building efforts to improve upon current operating procedures. These insights can be shared across partners and deployed to support maritime enforcement authorities, enabling them to carry out targeted, risk–based and intelligence–led fisheries monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement operations. These actions are also designed to act as a deterrent, since illicit activities will be harder to hide. The JAC will particularly focus on the strengthening of port controls, transshipment activity, and air and sea patrols. Insights from JAC analyses will also be made available to evidence–base international policy and legal processes that target the closure of loopholes that are exploited by illegal fishing operators.

“The IUU fishing challenge continues to evolve, and so must the responses," said Duncan Copeland, Executive Director at TMT. "The opportunities that the appropriate data, the right tools and technologies, and targeted personnel training present to bolstering fisheries enforcement capacities are enormous, but only if they are accessible and adapted to a national or regional context. State and non–State actor cooperation and collaboration are essential, and the Joint Analytical Cell has been formed to enable this objective."

"What we have established with the Joint Analytical Cell is a partnership mechanism that is designed to grow and bring in more complementary platforms and technology providers," said Tony Long, Chief Executive Officer at Global Fishing Watch. "This initiative, when taken to scale, will mobilize the combined expertise of its partners and allow for more targeted analyses and actionable intelligence offerings."

The Joint Analytical Cell will focus on four key areas: fisheries intelligence; monitoring, control and surveillance capacity building; access to data and technology, and partnership development. It will build on existing tools created by the founding members such as Global Fishing Watch's vessel tracking map and related tools like its carrier vessel portal, as well as TMT's Fisheries Analytical Capacity Tool, a fisheries intelligence management system built to capture and support analysis of identities and characteristics of the global fishing fleet and the companies that comprise it.

"Fish are a livelihood and source of nutrition for billions of people globally and it's critical to prevent actions like illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing that threaten this vital resource," said Melissa Wright from Bloomberg Philanthropies. "The new Joint Analytical Cell is an unprecedented step to enhance global collaboration to end fishing piracy, and Bloomberg Philanthropies is excited to support this major effort to expand fishing data. We know that you can't manage what you can't measure and the data from this new fisheries intelligence force will ensure governments, civil society partners, and communities can hold bad actors accountable and fish continue to be an available resource for billions around the world."

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8561438)

Global Fishing Watch welcomes partnership with Benin to combat illegal fishing

London, United Kingdom, May 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LONDON, May 19, 2022 – A new partnership agreement between Benin and Global Fishing Watch aims to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities within the waters of the West African State.

Under the memorandum of understanding, Global Fishing Watch will provide technical support, including fisheries analysis, capacity building and training on its vessel monitoring tools. To track its fishing fleet, Benin is establishing a vessel monitoring system, or VMS, and has formally agreed to share its data via the Global Fishing Watch map""the first African nation to commit to making its fishing fleet publicly visible.

Benin recently hosted in the large port city of Cotonou the first workshop under the new partnership, bringing together participants from Global Fishing Watch and various government agencies to develop actions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and advance collaboration through open and shared data.

"We are committed to eradicating illegal fishing from our waters and taking all action necessary to secure sustainable fisheries," said the Honorable Gaston Cossi Dossouhoui, Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Benin. "Through our partnership with Global Fishing Watch, we can strengthen our ability to monitor fishing activity, enforce the law and demonstrate our commitment to transparency in support of a blue economy. We encourage other African States to join us in this initiative to rid our waters of illicit activity."

Captain (Navy) Fernand Maxime Ahoyo, Maritime Prefect of Benin added, "Global Fishing Watch's tools will reinforce Benin's actions to protect its maritime area." Captain Ahoyo also acknowledged support from the non–profit organization, EcoBenin in facilitating engagement between the government of Benin and Global Fishing Watch.

"Greater transparency in fishing activity is an effective and cost–efficient means of driving more compliant behavior at sea. It allows law–abiding fishers to be rewarded, while those with missing information can be investigated and enforcement action more targeted," said Dame Mboup, Global Fishing Watch's program manager for West and Central Africa. "Violations by unauthorized vessels are prevalent off West Africa's coast; Benin is demonstrating leadership in using cutting–edge technology and open data to combat illegal fishing."

Persistent IUU fishing represents a considerable challenge for Benin and other coastal States in the Gulf of Guinea""a vast and diverse region spanning approximately 3,500 miles (5,633 kilometers) of coastline from Senegal to Angola. IUU fishing accounts for nearly 40 percent of all the fish caught in West Africa and threatens the ability of the region's developing countries to maximize the use of their ocean resources.

In addition to the partnership with Benin, Global Fishing Watch has signed letters of intent with Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania and Senegal to strengthen collaboration on governance tools, capacity transfer and analysis. The Regional Fisheries Commission for the Gulf of Guinea and the Sub–regional Fisheries Commission have also expressed their interest in joining Global Fishing Watch's vision for greater fisheries transparency, recognizing that regional cooperation and information sharing is needed to combat IUU fishing.

"West African countries rely on fish as a vital source of protein, income and employment for nearly 7 million people. But this region has seen its fish stocks decline drastically," added Dame Mboup. "Regional collaboration is critical to eliminate IUU fishing and restore fish populations. Global Fishing Watch is excited to support a growing number of West African States working together to share fishing data and harness technology to safeguard their marine resources and promote economic security."

Countries in the Gulf of Guinea recently stepped up the fight against IUU fishing and related crimes. Benin, Cte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo, through the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC)""an intergovernmental organization that promotes regional cooperation in fisheries management""launched the Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Center to monitor fishing and related activities in the Gulf of Guinea.

In support of regional efforts to combat IUU fishing, Global Fishing Watch and the international nonprofit, TM–Tracking launched a pilot project with Cte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and the FCWC to provide authorities with satellite tracking data, analysis and training needed to assess a fishing vessel's recent operations and compliance risk. The collaboration will harness a new tool called vessel viewer, which was developed by the two organizations and provides vital information on a vessel's identity, fishing activity, port visits and transshipments to help assess the need for inspection and port access.

With support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies, Moore Foundation, OAK Foundation and Oceans 5, Global Fishing Watch is committed to working with States to publicly share their vessel monitoring data and make its analytical tools and innovative technologies available to help enhance maritime surveillance.

"Achieving sustainable and equitable management of fisheries is critical," said Melissa Wright, Vibrant Oceans Initiative Lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "Fisheries support the health and well–being of coastal communities, and Bloomberg Philanthropies is excited for the opportunity to expand the number of organizations that make fishing information available and accessible to governments, civil society and the public. This is an important step in the fight against illegal fishing "" a problem that requires all hands on deck."

###

Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8544136)

Global Fishing Watch welcomes partnership with Benin to combat illegal fishing

London, United Kingdom, May 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LONDON, May 19, 2022 – A new partnership agreement between Benin and Global Fishing Watch aims to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities within the waters of the West African State.

Under the memorandum of understanding, Global Fishing Watch will provide technical support, including fisheries analysis, capacity building and training on its vessel monitoring tools. To track its fishing fleet, Benin is establishing a vessel monitoring system, or VMS, and has formally agreed to share its data via the Global Fishing Watch map""the first African nation to commit to making its fishing fleet publicly visible.

Benin recently hosted in the large port city of Cotonou the first workshop under the new partnership, bringing together participants from Global Fishing Watch and various government agencies to develop actions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and advance collaboration through open and shared data.

"We are committed to eradicating illegal fishing from our waters and taking all action necessary to secure sustainable fisheries," said the Honorable Gaston Cossi Dossouhoui, Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Benin. "Through our partnership with Global Fishing Watch, we can strengthen our ability to monitor fishing activity, enforce the law and demonstrate our commitment to transparency in support of a blue economy. We encourage other African States to join us in this initiative to rid our waters of illicit activity."

Captain (Navy) Fernand Maxime Ahoyo, Maritime Prefect of Benin added, "Global Fishing Watch's tools will reinforce Benin's actions to protect its maritime area." Captain Ahoyo also acknowledged support from the non–profit organization, EcoBenin in facilitating engagement between the government of Benin and Global Fishing Watch.

"Greater transparency in fishing activity is an effective and cost–efficient means of driving more compliant behavior at sea. It allows law–abiding fishers to be rewarded, while those with missing information can be investigated and enforcement action more targeted," said Dame Mboup, Global Fishing Watch's program manager for West and Central Africa. "Violations by unauthorized vessels are prevalent off West Africa's coast; Benin is demonstrating leadership in using cutting–edge technology and open data to combat illegal fishing."

Persistent IUU fishing represents a considerable challenge for Benin and other coastal States in the Gulf of Guinea""a vast and diverse region spanning approximately 3,500 miles (5,633 kilometers) of coastline from Senegal to Angola. IUU fishing accounts for nearly 40 percent of all the fish caught in West Africa and threatens the ability of the region's developing countries to maximize the use of their ocean resources.

In addition to the partnership with Benin, Global Fishing Watch has signed letters of intent with Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania and Senegal to strengthen collaboration on governance tools, capacity transfer and analysis. The Regional Fisheries Commission for the Gulf of Guinea and the Sub–regional Fisheries Commission have also expressed their interest in joining Global Fishing Watch's vision for greater fisheries transparency, recognizing that regional cooperation and information sharing is needed to combat IUU fishing.

"West African countries rely on fish as a vital source of protein, income and employment for nearly 7 million people. But this region has seen its fish stocks decline drastically," added Dame Mboup. "Regional collaboration is critical to eliminate IUU fishing and restore fish populations. Global Fishing Watch is excited to support a growing number of West African States working together to share fishing data and harness technology to safeguard their marine resources and promote economic security."

Countries in the Gulf of Guinea recently stepped up the fight against IUU fishing and related crimes. Benin, Cte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo, through the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC)""an intergovernmental organization that promotes regional cooperation in fisheries management""launched the Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Center to monitor fishing and related activities in the Gulf of Guinea.

In support of regional efforts to combat IUU fishing, Global Fishing Watch and the international nonprofit, TM–Tracking launched a pilot project with Cte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and the FCWC to provide authorities with satellite tracking data, analysis and training needed to assess a fishing vessel's recent operations and compliance risk. The collaboration will harness a new tool called vessel viewer, which was developed by the two organizations and provides vital information on a vessel's identity, fishing activity, port visits and transshipments to help assess the need for inspection and port access.

With support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies, Moore Foundation, OAK Foundation and Oceans 5, Global Fishing Watch is committed to working with States to publicly share their vessel monitoring data and make its analytical tools and innovative technologies available to help enhance maritime surveillance.

"Achieving sustainable and equitable management of fisheries is critical," said Melissa Wright, Vibrant Oceans Initiative Lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "Fisheries support the health and well–being of coastal communities, and Bloomberg Philanthropies is excited for the opportunity to expand the number of organizations that make fishing information available and accessible to governments, civil society and the public. This is an important step in the fight against illegal fishing "" a problem that requires all hands on deck."

###

Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8544855)