Global Fishing Watch
Open-data platform tracking global fishing activity and vessel movements via satellite AIS and radar — free, open source, purpose-built for transparency and ocean accountability.
What should journalists know about Global Fishing Watch?
Global Fishing Watch is one of the most powerful open tools for ocean-related investigative journalism. It tracks the activity of more than 65,000 commercial fishing vessels globally using a combination of AIS data, Vessel Monitoring System data (shared by governments), and satellite radar (synthetic aperture radar that detects vessels even when transponders are off). The result is a near-complete picture of industrial fishing activity worldwide, updated daily, going back to 2012. The platform was launched in 2016 as a partnership between Google, Oceana, and SkyTruth. It became an independent international nonprofit in 2017, headquartered in Washington, DC, with staff across the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Google provided the initial cloud computing infrastructure and continues to support the platform with donated compute through Google.org. Additional funding comes from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Walton Family Foundation, and multiple government partnerships. For journalists, the platform answers questions no other public tool can. Where are Chinese distant-water fishing fleets operating near West African waters? Which vessels entered a marine protected area? What trawlers went dark (turned off AIS) near a disputed maritime boundary? The "apparent fishing activity" layer uses machine learning to classify vessel behavior — distinguishing fishing from transiting — based on speed, course changes, and movement patterns. The carrier vessel portal tracks refrigerated cargo ships (reefers) that enable transshipment at sea, a key mechanism for laundering illegal catch. The data and code are open source under permissive licenses. The vessel-tracking algorithms, the machine-learning classifiers, and the processed datasets are all published on GitHub. This means journalists can verify the methodology, reproduce results, and cite specific algorithmic decisions — a level of transparency unmatched by commercial maritime intelligence providers. The platform has been used in award-winning investigations: AP's Pulitzer-winning coverage of forced labor on Thai fishing vessels, reporting on illegal fishing in Galapagos waters by Chinese fleets, and investigations into North Korean fishing vessels violating UN sanctions. The Environmental Justice Foundation, Oceana, and Greenpeace all use it for campaign research. The limits: Global Fishing Watch focuses on commercial fishing vessels (typically above 15 meters). Artisanal and small-scale fishing fleets are largely invisible. AIS manipulation is as much a problem here as in any maritime tracking — vessels going dark is itself a signal, but you cannot track what you cannot see. The machine-learning fishing-activity classifier has known false-positive rates, particularly for vessels engaged in slow transit or anchor operations. Always verify apparent fishing detections against vessel type and context.
Tracking fishing fleet activity near marine protected areas or disputed waters. Identifying vessels that go dark (disable AIS) in sensitive zones. Monitoring transshipment at sea via carrier vessel tracking. Investigating forced labor by cross-referencing fishing vessel activity with port state measures. Documenting illegal fishing patterns for environmental investigations. Accessing research-grade datasets for data journalism projects. Verifying government claims about fisheries enforcement.
Tracking non-fishing commercial vessels (tankers, cargo ships, cruise ships) — use MarineTraffic or VesselFinder. Small artisanal fishing boats under 15 meters that don't carry AIS. Real-time vessel tracking with sub-hour updates — the platform is better for pattern analysis over days, weeks, or months. Beneficial ownership of fishing companies — combine with corporate registries. Land-based environmental monitoring — use Global Forest Watch instead.
Security & Privacy
Data is scrambled while being sent to their servers
Data is scrambled when stored on their servers
Where servers are located — affects which governments can request your data
Privacy policy summary
Minimal user data collection. The platform can be browsed without an account. Creating a free account requires email only. Standard web analytics present. The vessel data itself is not personal information — it's commercial vessel activity derived from public AIS broadcasts and government-shared monitoring data. As a US nonprofit, not subject to GDPR, though data partnerships with EU governments follow those standards. No advertising, no data sales.
How to protect yourself:
The platform can be used without an account for basic map exploration. For sensitive investigations into specific fleets, download the bulk datasets and analyze locally rather than repeatedly querying the web interface. All data is freely downloadable — no paywall to lock you out later. Cross-reference Global Fishing Watch detections with satellite imagery (Sentinel-1 SAR is particularly useful for confirming vessel presence when AIS is off). Verify vessel identities against national fishing registries and the FAO Global Record. Remember that "apparent fishing activity" is a machine-learning classification, not ground truth — always note this in reporting. For forced-labor investigations, combine vessel tracking data with port state inspection records and crew interview evidence.
US-based nonprofit with a transparency mission. All data is public and open — there is no sensitive proprietary information to protect. The code is open source on GitHub, allowing full methodology verification. Infrastructure runs on Google Cloud Platform with standard enterprise security. Minimal user data collection (email for optional account). No advertising, no data sales, no commercial surveillance. The open-source, open-data architecture is the strongest possible trust signal for investigative work: every detection is reproducible and verifiable. No record of security incidents.
Who Owns This
Known issues
AIS manipulation: Fishing vessels engaged in illegal activity routinely disable AIS transponders. Global Fishing Watch can detect gaps (vessels going dark) but cannot track a vessel with no signal. Satellite radar partially compensates but has lower temporal resolution. Machine-learning classification errors: The fishing-activity detection model has false positives (classifying slow transit or anchoring as fishing) and false negatives (missing certain fishing techniques). Always verify classifications against vessel type, gear type, and operational context. Small vessel blind spot: Vessels under 15 meters typically do not carry AIS and are invisible to the platform. This excludes most artisanal and small-scale fishing — a significant gap in regions like West Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands where small-scale fishing is dominant. VMS data access depends on government willingness: Vessel Monitoring System data is government-controlled and shared voluntarily. Coverage is uneven — some countries share comprehensive VMS data, others share nothing. Gaps in VMS coverage create gaps in the platform's ability to track fishing fleets in those waters. Temporal lag: Data updates daily but is not real-time. For enforcement or breaking-news purposes, this delay matters. Historical data back to 2012 is excellent for pattern analysis but updates may lag by 24-72 hours for the most recent activity. Philanthropic sustainability: The platform depends on continued grant funding. While the funder base is diversified, a significant reduction in philanthropic support could affect data processing and platform maintenance.
Pricing
Free. The platform, data, and tools are available at no cost. Research-grade datasets downloadable for free. API access available for researchers and developers. No premium tier — the entire platform is open.
This is an editorial assessment based on publicly available information as of 2026-04-11, using our published methodology. Independent security review is pending. Security posture can change at any time. This is not a guarantee of safety.
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