Public vessel tracking in global fisheries: growth, impact, and potential

Transparency in the global fishing fleet has dramatically increased over the past decade due to the expansion of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and public Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). Since 2012, the number of vessels tracked has grown more than fivefold, from approximately 20,000 to over 110,000 in 2024 (>100,000 on AIS and ~10,000 on VMS), now covering more than a quarter of the world’s fishing fleet over 12 meters in length. This increase has driven advancements in marine science, supported policies by regional fisheries management organizations, and strengthened enforcement within marine protected areas.

 

Using satellite radar and optical imagery, we provide region-specific estimates of the fraction of industrial fishing vessels publicly tracked, finding that while developed countries lead in use of AIS, developing regions show the fastest growth. This growth is primarily due to an increased fraction of vessels installing tracking devices, not a rise in total fishing activity. Our analysis also shows no evidence of widespread increased AIS disabling despite concerns that using AIS for monitoring may incentivize fishers to disable their devices. 

 

Some of the increase in public vessel tracking is driven by proactive voluntary adoption of AIS by fishers, demonstrating the intrinsic value they see in it. However, the majority of increase in AIS use has been a result of national policies mandating or encouraging its use. These policies will be critical to the impact of public tracking in the next decade. Public tracking, if supported by the right policies, enables science and can complement sovereign monitoring systems, especially in international and remote waters. To strengthen transparency in ocean governance, we recommend that countries establish or reinforce AIS regulations, expand public tracking availability while safeguarding privacy, and integrate AIS and VMS data into marine resource management strategies.