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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Karen McVeigh

Human activity is powering ‘a new industrial revolution’ at sea, say experts

Aerial view of fishing vessels in the ocean in asia.
Three-quarters of of the world’s industrial fishing vessels, mainly operating in Africa and Asia, are “dark” or not publicly tracked. Photograph: RDW Aerial Imaging/Alamy

Researchers have created the first global map of the industrial use of the ocean, using space technology and AI to reveal the emergence of a “new industrial revolution”.

A study led by Global Fishing Watch (GFW) and published in Nature found that 75% of the world’s industrial fishing vessels, mainly operating in Africa and south Asia, are “dark” or not publicly tracked. More than a quarter of the activity of transport and energy vessels is also missing from public tracking systems, it found.

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