Many marine life stocks are considered overexploited, including due to illegal fishing. This will likely be much more widespread than expected. No publicly available data is available for approximately three-quarters of all voyages by larger fishing vessels.
This is the result of an analysis of satellite images from the period 2017 to 2021. The discovered activities may provide indications of possible illegal fishing.
By comparison: on transport ships only about a quarter of all voyages cannot be tracked. “More than a billion people depend on the sea as their main source of food, and global marine fisheries alone employ 260 million people,” says a research team from the NGO ‘Global Fishing Watch’ in the magazine ‘Nature’.
67 million sections of satellite images analyzed
To get a more complete picture of human activity at sea, 67 million pieces of satellite images were analyzed. From this, the team created maps with a resolution of 15 to 20 meters on which they were able to identify various objects in the oceans – from ships to oil rigs to wind turbines. By comparing them with the public AIS data, the authors then identified sightings of vessels where AIS systems were not used.
If you look only at the AIS data, fishing activities off European coasts are about the same as those off Asian coasts. However, satellite data shows that industrial fishing around Asia is considerably more extensive.
Accordingly, Asian fishing fleets account for approximately 70 percent of all fishing vessels worldwide. In the waters around China alone, these ships represent approximately 30 percent worldwide.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
