Map reveals fishing activity not publicly tracked around Portugal and Morocco. The map shows individual vessels detected by Sentinel-1 during 2017–2021, matched (blue) to known vessel positions from AIS broadcasts and unmatched vessels (orange). The vessels were classified as fishing or non-fishing with a deep-learning model. The national exclusive economic zones are overlaid. Credit: ESA (data source: Paolo et al., 2024/Global Fishing Watch)
A groundbreaking study reveals that 75% of the world’s industrial fishing vessels were not tracked publicly, highlighting significant gaps in ocean governance. By employing satellite data and AI, researchers have offered the most detailed picture of global fishing activity, with Asia significantly leading in vessel count. The study underscores the essential role of technology in monitoring and managing marine resources.
A groundbreaking study that combines satellite data and Artificial Intelligence has thrown new light on the number of vessels at sea. Astonishingly, the study reveals that around 75% of the world’s industrial fishing vessels have previously been ‘dark’ to public tracking systems.
The study, published recently in the journal Nature, was led by Global Fishing Watch – an organization that seeks to advance ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea.
Map reveals untracked fishing vessels around Sicily and Tunisia. The map shows individual vessels detected by Sentinel-1 during 2017–2021, matched (blue) to known vessel positions from AIS broadcasts and unmatched vessels (orange). The vessels were classified as fishing or non-fishing with a deep-learning model. The national exclusive economic zones are overlaid. Credit: ESA (data source: Paolo et al., 2024/Global Fishing Watch)
Unveiling “Dark Fleets”
Not all boats are legally required to broadcast their position, but vessels not included in public monitoring systems, often termed ‘dark fleets’, can pose challenges for protecting and managing natural resources.
By using five years’ worth of radar data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission and some optical data from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission along with
The graph shows at the top shows fishing vessels publicly tracked (blue) and not tracked (orange) in different regions during the 2017–2021 study period. The graph below shows transport and energy vessels. Credit: ESA (data source Paolo et. al., 2024)
Global Distribution of Fishing Activities
Publicly available data suggests that Asia and Europe have a similar number of fishing vessels within their relative borders – however, this is not the case.
Jennifer Raynor, Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said, “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.
“By revealing dark vessels, we have created the most comprehensive public picture of global industrial fishing available.”
Contributions of Sentinel-1 Mission
ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 Mission Manager, Nuno Miranda, noted, “We are taken aback by the results of the study, I don’t think anyone expected that 75% of vessels at sea are not broadcasting their positions.
“We are extremely proud of the preponderant role played by Sentinel-1 in these astonishing results.
“The mission truly demonstrates how the all-weather, day and night imaging capacity of radar combined with its systematic and global observations allow for a better understanding of the scale at which humans are impacting the environment and natural resources.”
The map of offshore development shows oil infrastructure in major oil-producing areas, wind farms, and other humanmade structures (such as piers, power lines, and aquaculture). Circles are proportional to the number of structures per square-degree grid cell at the end of 2021. Credit: ESA (data source: Paolo et al., 2024/Global Fishing Watch)
Environmental and Regulatory Implications
As well as the implications this has on targeting vessels that could be fishing illegally, these results will also help understand more about greenhouse gases being emitted at sea.
The study also looked at offshore infrastructure such as wind turbines and oil platforms.
During the study period, oil structures increased by 16%, and wind turbines more than doubled. By 2021, turbines outnumbered oil platforms. China’s offshore wind energy had the most striking growth, increasing ninefold between 2017 and 2021.
This is important for helping to understand development impacts and trends.
Reference: “Satellite mapping reveals extensive industrial activity at sea” by Fernando S. Paolo, David Kroodsma, Jennifer Raynor, Tim Hochberg, Pete Davis, Jesse Cleary, Luca Marsaglia, Sara Orofino, Christian Thomas and Patrick Halpin, 3 January 2024, Nature.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06825-8
