More than two thirds of the planet remains out of sight, leaving room for a “lawless ocean” where nearly 20% of global fishing is estimated to be illegal or unreported.
Long a source of sustenance, the Mediterranean is now seeing its balance threatened: according to the IUCN, nearly 20% of its 7,000 species are facing extinction, mainly due to human activities. It is becoming urgent to curb these destructive practices in order to preserve this unique ecosystem.
- Make human activity at sea visible by mapping over one million vessels and making this data freely accessible.
- Support Mediterranean countries in the fight against illegal fishing and the sustainable management of their marine resources.
- Strengthen the protection of marine biodiversity.
- Provide a comprehensive database on illegal trawling activities.
- Serve as a reference point and starting point for in-depth studies, enabling a better understanding and management of illegal fishing practices.
- Publication of data on vessels and human impacts at sea.
- Mapping and detection of illegal trawlers.
- Partnership with national authorities to improve monitoring and regulation.
- Support for the management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
- Organisation of capacity-building workshops and analyses.
- Collaboration with regional institutions to influence fishing policies.
Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, Global Fishing Watch aims to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed.