By combining satellite data, artificial intelligence and on-the-ground expertise, Global Fishing Watch uncovered the largest known case of illegal fis

IUU: How does technology work to detect fishing fleets operating in 'international waters'?

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems due to its potent ability to undermine national and regional efforts to manage fisheries sustainably as well as endeavours to conserve marine biodiversity. IUU fishing takes advantage of corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes, in particular those of developing countries lacking the capacity and resources for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). IUU fishing is found in all types and dimensions of fisheries; it occurs both on the high seas and in areas within national jurisdiction, it concerns all aspects and stages of the capture and utilisation of fish, and it may sometimes be associated with organized crime. Fisheries resources available to bona fide fishers are removed by IUU fishing, which can lead to the collapse of local fisheries, with small-scale fisheries in developing countries proving particularly vulnerable. Products derived from IUU fishing can find their way into overseas trade markets thus throttling local food supply. IUU fishing therefore threatens livelihoods, exacerbates poverty, and augments food insecurity.

FAO/United Nations

Detecting the Dark Fleet Using Satellite Technology

Washington, D.C. - LAst year, a study published in the journal, Science Advances reveals widespread illegal fishing by dark fleets -- vessels that do not publicly broadcast their location or appear in public monitoring systems -- operating in the waters between the Koreas, Japan and Russia, some of the world's most disputed and poorly-monitored waters.

The study, Illuminating Dark Fishing Fleets in North Korea, found more than 900 vessels of Chinese origin in 2017, and 700 in 2018, likely violated United Nations (UN) sanctions by fishing in North Korean waters. The vessels likely caught almost as much Pacific flying squid as Japan and South Korea combined -- more than 160,000 metric tons worth over US $440 million in 2017-2018.

"The scale of the fleet involved in this illegal fishing is about one-third the size of China's entire distant water fishing fleet. It is the largest known case of illegal fishing perpetrated by vessels originating from one country operating in another nation's waters," said Jaeyoon Park, senior data scientist at Global Fishing Watch and co-lead author of the study. "By synthesizing data from multiple satellite sensors, we created an unprecedented, robust picture of fishing activity in a notoriously opaque region."

Following North Korea's testing of ballistic missiles, the UN Security Council adopted resolutions in 2017 to sanction the country, and some of these prohibit foreign fishing.

The detected vessels originate from China and are assumed to be owned and operated by Chinese interests. However, because these vessels often do not carry appropriate papers, they are likely "three-no boats"-- operating without official Chinese authority, with no registration, flag, or license.

Rogue vessels plunder squid as catch declines

The study claims the previously unidentified vessels pose a huge challenge for squid stock management, with reported catches plummeting by 80 percent and 82 percent in South Korean and Japanese waters respectively since 2003. Pacific flying squid is South Korea's top seafood by production value, one of the top five seafoods consumed in Japan and, until recent sanctions, was the third largest North Korean export.

Disagreement over boundaries in the waters between the Koreas, Japan and Russia have prevented joint fisheries management and hampered national efforts due to a lack of comprehensive stock assessments.

"Illegal fishing in these waters is a very serious matter in Japan, and the lack of shared data and management is a major challenge considering the critical importance of squid in the region," said Masanori Miyahara, President of the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency. "We must face this challenge using the evidence provided by this study and other credible science."

Unprecedented use of satellite technologies to detect the dark fleets

The study used four satellite technologies to illuminate the dark fleets. Automatic identification system (AIS) -- a collision avoidance system that constantly transmits a vessel's location at sea - provides detailed vessel information, but is used by only a fraction of vessels. The study added radar images, which can identify large metal vessels and penetrate clouds, night time imaging which picks up the presence of fishing vessels using lights to attract catch or conduct operations at night, and high-resolution optical imagery, which offers the best visual "proof" of vessel activity and type. These technologies have never before been combined to publicly reveal the activities and estimated catches of entire fleets at this scale.

"These novel insights are now possible thanks to advances in machine learning and the rapidly growing volume of high-resolution, high-frequency imagery that was unavailable even a couple of years ago." said David Kroodsma, research and innovation director at Global Fishing Watch and co-author of the study. "We've shown we can track industrial fishing vessels that are not broadcasting their locations."

New analysis could underpin inter-Korean cooperation

The 2018 inter-Korean summits underlined the need to build peace through cooperation on the waters, create a joint fisheries management area, and address illegal fishing. Achieving these laudable ambitions will rely on unbiased information that all sides can trust.

"Global fisheries have long been dominated by a culture of unnecessary confidentiality and concealment. Achieving a comprehensive view of fishing activity is an important step toward truly sustainable and cooperative fisheries management, and satellite monitoring is a key part of the solution." said Associate Professor Quentin Hanich of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong and co-author. "This analysis represents the beginning of a new era in ocean management and transparency."

The study was itself an example of international cooperation, with scientists from South Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States collaborating to reveal fishing activity in the region.

Night Light vessels

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a polar orbiting satellite that uses highly sensitive optical sensors to see lights at night. The Earth Observation Group (EOG) at the Colorado School of Mines maintains the VIIRs Boat Detection (VBD) database, which identifies vessels in the VIIRs data that use light to attract catch, such as most industrial squid vessels and some types of purse seines. Through a partnership with the Earth Observation Group, we are incorporating this database into our portals to supplement vessel tracking data—more than 85 percent of the fishing vessels in the VIIRS database do not broadcast AIS or VMS.

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR)

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a type of radar technology that can map the earth’s surface. It penetrates cloud coverage—typically over two-thirds of our planet at any given time—making it effective in all weather conditions, day or night, and provides a quicker pathway to discovering potentially interesting trends. We are developing methods to automatically detect the presence of vessels in radar imagery.

Satellital Optical images

Satellite images, such as those on Google Earth, that include visible colors—sometimes infrared—are known as optical imagery. On cloud free days, optical satellite imagery allows us to see vessels at sea and can offer the best visual “proof” of vessel activity and type. Coastal areas are currently imaged frequently by medium-resolution optical systems, such as the Sentinel-2 (approximately 15 meter spatial resolution) constellation, and we have developed methods to automatically detect vessels in these images. We have also worked with higher-resolution optical imagery data (3 meter spatial resolution) from companies like Planet Labs.

Players+Cooperation

Global Fishing Watch (GFW) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the sustainability of our oceans through increased transparency. By harnessing cutting edge technology, our mapping platform allows anyone to view or download data and investigate global fishing activity in near real-time, for free. GFW was founded in 2015 through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth and Google. Our work is made possible thanks to the support of our funding partners and technology and data providers.

At any moment, 200,000 vessels are publicizing their locations via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). 

Global Fishing Watch enables users with Internet access to monitor fishing activity globally, and to view "individual vessel tracks, exclusive economic zones, marine protected areas, and other features." It is hoped that the initiative can help to reduce "global overfishing, illegal fishing and habitat destruction."

The technology was made publicly available at the 2016 US State Department's Our Oceans Conference in Washington, DC. The project was partly financed by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) is a think tank for developing national policies on fisheries and marine affairs in Korea. For more than three decades since its establishment in 1984, the KMI has committed to research for the development of fisheries, shipping and port industries, becoming a specialized research institute in shipping, ports, maritime and fisheries sector.

Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA) is a public organisation, established on April 1, 2016 through a merger of the Fisheries Research Agency (originated from 9 institutes of Fisheries Agency of Japan, Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries since 1949) and the National Fisheries University. The FRA aims to maximize research and development (R&D) outcomes as the only comprehensive fisheries R&D organization in Japan. The FRA is contributing to the revival of Japan as a nation of fisheries by maximizing R&D outcomes.

SkyTruth: A founding partner of Global Fishing Watch, SkyTruth is a nonprofit conservation technology organization that uses satellite imagery, geospatial data and artificial intelligence to shine a spotlight on environmental issues worldwide. SkyTruth believes that greater transparency leads to greater public participation, better policy, and positive outcomes for people and the planet. SkyTruth is based in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong is a globally recognised academic centre of excellence for ocean governance and marine resource security. We bring together teams of specialist lawyers, political scientists and international relations experts, geographers, marine biologists and social scientists to design, innovate and integrate ocean law, maritime management and marine policy. We provide real-world research outcomes that assist decision makers and enhance the quality of policy-making. Our expertise and capacity enables us to employ a multi-disciplinary approach to complex issues and bring to the subject a range of specialised perspectives.

Planet is the leading provider of global, near-daily satellite imagery data and insights. Planet is driven by a mission to image all of Earth's landmass every day, and make global change visible, accessible and actionable. Founded in 2010 by three NASA scientists, Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest earth observation fleet of satellites, and provides the online software, tools and analytics needed to deliver data to users. Decision makers in business, government, and within organizations can use Planet's data and machine learning-powered analytics to develop new technologies, drive revenue, power research, and make informed, timely decisions to solve our world's toughest challenges.

Located at Duke University, the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab (MGEL) applies geospatial technologies to issues in marine ecology, resource management and ocean conservation. With locations at both the main Durham campus of Duke and at the Duke Marine Lab on Pivers Island in Beaufort, North Carolina, the lab works with students and faculty across domains- from field science to policy.

The University of California, Santa Cruz, is a leading public research university located 90 miles south of San Francisco overlooking Monterey Bay. Home to 16,000 undergraduates and 1,600 graduate students, UC Santa Cruz has earned a national reputation for research and scholarship that challenges the status quo.

Source: © Global Fishing Watch

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