The new live map uses radar data from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 satellite. Global Fishing Watch is using satellite radar imagery to reduce that information gap and serve its findings to anyone willing to make sure the ocean is managed equitably and sustainably. “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,” he explained.
The ships have been termed a ‘dark fleet’ for their practice of shutting off or otherwise obfuscating their AIS systems, which signal their location on the waves. In addition to engaging in often illegal, unregulated and unlicensed fishing, criminality, from human trafficking to labor exploitation and even murder, is rampant on board. “It is surprising how little we have known to date about the true scale of human activity on the water,” David Kroodsma, director of research and innovation at Global Fishing Watch (GFW) said in a statement. (Photo: Enochlau, Wikimedia, License)The map is updated daily and allows authorities, researchers and the public to identify dark fleet patterns and build the necessary understanding to quantify threats to the ocean, Global Fishing Watch said in a statement. The map is exposing the extent of illegal fishing worldwide.Ĭhina is not the only country to employ a distant water fishing fleet, but it is exponentially larger than any other currently fielded. An international nonprofit organization has released the first ever global map of so-called ‘dark fleets,’ or fishing vessels that do not broadcast their location or appear in public monitoring systems.
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