The Global Fishing Watch organization has developed a satellite radar system that detects and maps ships that do not broadcast their position or appear in public monitoring networks. This capability helps identify vessels that may be concealing illegal and harmful activities at sea.
Marking a milestone, this system presents the world’s first comprehensive global map of dark fleets. Its release aligns with World Oceans Day, and the creators say the map is meant to inform authorities, researchers, and the public about ship movements in coastal waters, with the aim of reducing illegal activity that threatens ocean health.
A new fleet-detection technology called synthetic aperture radar SAR is freely accessible through an online portal that updates daily.
Working 24 hours in all conditions
Global Fishing Watch explains that the radar operates around the clock and in all weather, producing usable images even when clouds, storms, or darkness would block traditional sensors. This significantly expands detection capability compared with other satellite sensing methods.
The radar functions as an active sensor that sends microwaves to the Earth’s surface and measures the reflected signals to determine the size, orientation, composition, condition, and texture of objects on land and at sea. Unlike passive systems, this technology remains effective despite cloud cover, haze, or adverse weather, giving a broader view of ship movements and potential illicit activity patterns in the global ocean.
These insights help authorities identify areas with suspicious activity and model how ships may be operating illegally or under unregulated fishing pressure, contributing to more informed responses and management decisions.
Better ocean management
The new satellite radar is expected to close the information gap created when some vessels turn off their signals to hide activities, according to David Kroodsma, director of research and innovation at Global Fishing Watch. This gap has hindered fair and sustainable ocean management.
In addition, Kroodsma notes the radar’s ability to detect and map previously covert and potentially illegal activities broadens the scope of remote sensing and strengthens the tools available to environmental stewards and policy makers.
Global Fishing Watch has indicated cases such as the detection of approximately 900 Chinese vessels illegally fishing in North Korean waters, describing it as among the largest known instances of industrial fishing in someone else’s territorial waters. The technology has since been enhanced and expanded to study fishing near marine protected areas in the Mediterranean and in coastal waters of Africa, revealing activity hotspots that were previously hidden and demonstrating that the ocean visibility is far greater than conventional monitoring systems show.
Thus the system represents a powerful step forward in ocean surveillance and conservation efforts. Source: Global Fishing Watch