Maritime data and surveillance specialist, exactEarth and satellite image company, DigitalGlobe, have joined forces to help the commercial fishing industry combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The strategic alliance will see exactEarth's advanced automatic identification system (AIS) maritime information services integrated with DigitalGlobe's high-accuracy, high-resolution commercial satellite imagery. The integrated solution will help governments to both address IUU fishing and bolster their broader maritime surveillance.
Peter Mabson, chief executive of exactEarth, said: "Twenty six million tonnes of fish, representing approximately $23bn in lost revenue, are taken each year through illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing."
"Our Alliance will enable governments and commercial organisations to monitor fishing activity in and around their borders, respond to suspicious activity and hold vessels accountable for their catch," he added.
Several decades of overfishing in the world's major fisheries has created large declines in commercially important fish populations, hindering the ability to feed the growing global population and costing governments tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue annually.
"Illegal fishing costs countries billions of dollars each year and impacts livelihoods of millions," said Tony Frazier, senior vice president and general manager of services for DigitalGlobe.
"This partnership will bring to market the first commercial solution to combat illegal fishing, and the combined capabilities of DigitalGlobe and exactEarth will allow stakeholders to make decisions with confidence to control the serious problem of IUU fishing,” he added.
