In 2020, we observed about 50 percent fewer vessels over this same period compared with previous years. During the annual squid fishing season, fishing activity is at its peak from September through November. The intensity of fishing declined considerably in the second half of the 2020 season compared to the same period in the previous year. Among the approximate 700 fishing vessels we detected in 2020, we found that far more fishing took place in the first half of the season. (d) AIS positions of vessels that likely fished in both North Korean and Chinese national waters during 2020.įigure 3 shows fishing activity conducted by industrial fishing vessels of Chinese origin in North Korean waters across 2017-20. (c) Accumulated detections over 2020 using nighttime optical satellite imagery. (b) A select four-day sample of pair trawler activity using radar imagery processed by Kongsberg Satellite Services. (a) A select four-day sample of pair trawler activity using high-resolution optical imagery obtained from Planet. Four satellite technologies were used to detect dark fishing fleets: automatic information system data, optical imagery, nighttime optical imagery, and satellite radar.įigures 2a-2d show a sample of vessel detections for 2020 using four satellite technologies. Harnessing the power of satellites, we combined optical and radar imagery, taken over 40 days across the squid fishing season-which usually runs from May to December-along with daily observations of nighttime optical imagery and automatic identification system, or AIS, vessel tracking data.įigure 1. 2020: A landmark yearįor our 2020 analysis, we monitored dark fishing activity in North Korean waters using the same technologies and methodology presented in our published paper. The study suggested that competition from industrial trawlers is one of the possible reasons why North Korean fishers venture farther from home in ill-equipped boats, often with tragic results. We found a strong correlation between the size of the illegal fishing operation in Russian waters and the number of so-called “ ghost boats ” washing up empty or with human remains on Japanese shores. The study also revealed a few thousand smaller North Korean vessels fishing illegally in Russian waters in recent years. Illegal fishing has no doubt accelerated the stark decline in squid stocks in the region, with reported catches plummeting by about 80 percent since 2003. Our subsequent analysis of 2019 data showed that the illegal fishing continued unabated. The haul was estimated at more than 160,000 metric tons of squid, worth about half a billion U.S. Our paper, published in Science Advances, estimated that this operation caught almost as much Pacific flying squid as neighboring countries, Republic of Korea and Japan, combined. These vessels were likely in violation of domestic regulations and United Nations (UN) sanctions, which prohibit countries from purchasing fishing rights or procuring seafood from North Korea. Scientific study reveals illegal fishingĬombining multi-sensor satellite technologies and machine learning, Global Fishing Watch led a team of researchers from eight institutions in producing a study that found nearly 1,000 vessels of Chinese origin fishing illegally in North Korean waters across 20. A follow-up analysis examining fishing activity by dark fleets in North Korean and Russian waters throughout 2020 shows a significant decline-one that is likely reflective of increased satellite monitoring as well as the impact of the coronavirus. The study drew widespread interest and underlined the value of transparency and technology to improve monitoring of fishing activity and the importance of transboundary fisheries management. The foreign fishing activity detected across 2017-19 in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Russian Federation (Russia) waters was largely conducted by dark fleets-vessels that do not publicly broadcast their location or appear in public monitoring systems. In July 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was sweeping across the globe, Global Fishing Watch published a groundbreaking scientific paper revealing one of the largest known cases of illegal fishing. Satellite technology reveals decline in illegal fishing activity in North Korean and Russian waters compared to previous years
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |