Topic: Civic Engagement

Website: Global Fishing Watch

Article: Google’s New Tool For Monitoring Global Fishing

• Technology created by SkyTruth, Oceana, and Google to show global fishing activities by using Automatic Identification System to track movement of vessels. Boats are automatically classified as fishing or non-fishing
• Information available to the public in real time such as type of boat, length of time engaged in fishing, nationality of the boats, and their locations
• Empower people to learn about where their seafood comes from
• Great tool to use monitor and regulate fishing policies such as marine protected areas to keep fisheries accountable. Can also be used for fisherman to prove that they obeyed regulations

Stakeholders:

• Google, Skytruth, Oceana to create and support the technology
• Government agencies and politicians who create and enforce fishing policies such as Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, etc.
• Fisheries
• Seafood retail stores, restaurants can use this tool for supply chain management
• Environmental activists/non-profits

Deployment

• Use current prototype to engage fishery community leaders, government and environmental non-profits to show them how to use the technology
• Ensure fisheries have AIS on their vessels. Improve AIS technology to prevent false data
• Expand technology to cover the entire world