Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding previously untrackable human activity at sea. Using satellite images, GPS ships, and artificial intelligence, they found that a significant portion of global industrial fishing and vessel activities remains unmonitored by the public.
An article published in the journal Nature, in collaboration with Google’s Global Fishing Watch, reveals that approximately 72-76% of world industrial fishing cannot be accounted for through existing monitoring systems. Additionally, around one-third of transport and energy vessel activities vanish from public tracking systems.
These findings, supported through the use of satellite images and AI algorithms, shed light on the extent of untracked marine activity, often referred to as “dark fleets.” The research highlights the capability of deep learning algorithms to uncover hidden patterns within vast amounts of data.
While an automatic identification system (AIS) was previously utilized for tracking such activities, it is subject to limitations and is not universally required by every country. Moreover, it can be easily disabled to avoid detection.
To gain a more precise understanding of the global situation, the researchers employed AI analysis on 2000 terabytes of satellite data collected by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites. The majority of unmonitored activity is concentrated in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the northern and western coasts of Africa.
The study also revealed a noteworthy surge in the development of marine energy resources. As of the end of 2020, the number of newly constructed wind turbines surpassed that of new oil structures. In 2021, wind turbines accounted for nearly half of all ocean infrastructure, while oil structures made up 38%.
However, despite the increase in wind turbines, oil structures still resulted in a five-fold rise in shipping activities.
The availability of this new public data comes at a critical time when marine activity is rapidly expanding and can provide policymakers with valuable insights for significant changes, particularly in response to the escalating climate crisis.