Oceana, SkyTruth and Google have launched a new online technology platform that allows anyone in the world free access to monitor and track the activities of the large commercial fishing vessels in near real-time.
Global Fishing Watch aims to deliver a powerful tool that can help to rebuild fish stocks and protect the oceans, which are threatened by global overfishing, illegal fishing and habitat destruction.
“Global Fishing Watch will revolutionise the way the world views commercial fishing,” said Jacqueline Savitz, vice president for the United States and Global Fishing Watch at Oceana.
He added: “Now, in the hands of everyone, this free tool can be used by governments, journalists, citizens, researchers and the seafood industry. It will allow governments to track suspicious vessels, enforce rules and reduce seafood fraud.”
“Journalists and everyday citizens will be able to identify behaviour that may be related to illegal fishing or overfishing. Global Fishing Watch is a powerful tool in the fight against illegal fishing and has tremendous potential to preserve and protect our world’s delicate marine ecosystem for generations to come.”
The product is a free interactive online tool that shows the apparent fishing activity of 35,000 commercial fishing vessels operating throughout the world.
Its platform is regularly updated to show vessel tracks and fishing activity from 1 January 2012 through three days prior to present time.
By sharing this critical information publicly for the first time, Global Fishing Watch will have immeasurable and wide-ranging positive impacts on ocean health.
"Working with Oceana and Google has enabled us to take a good idea and build it into something that will improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the planet,” explained John Amos, President and Founder of SkyTruth.
He concluded: “Global Fishing Watch will catalyse the science, policy-making and public pressure necessary to make our oceans sustainable."
Global Fishing Watch is collaborating with governments, private industry, and scientific and international agencies to enable additional transparency and sustainability policies.
