• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

SALT.

Search Toggle
  • What is Salt?
  • Principles
  • Seascape Map
  • Story Hub
  • Get Involved
  • Dive Deeper
  • Search Toggle

From Global Fishing Watch: Following Forced Labor in the World's Fishing Fleets

eyes of a person over a map of the world

One of the most challenging issues to track with seafood is whether human and labor right violations at sea were involved. Global Fishing Watch paired up with Liberty Shared, a human rights NGO focused on human trafficking, to hone in on what remote data could help them determine whether fishing vessels might be at risk of these abuses.  Collaborating with other human rights experts, they developed machine learning techniques to identify high-risk vessels. Their initial study  looked at satellite data for 16,000 vessels over 6 years, and discovered that between 14% to a quarter of the vessels were at high risk; that’s a potential of 100,000 victims. But how did they do this?

 

…”By pairing these indicators with satellite data from 22 fishing vessels known or reported to use forced labor, we confirmed that vessels using forced labor behaved in detectably different ways from the rest of the global fishing fleet. The most important indicators identified were:

  • Distance from port

  • Vessel engine power

  • Daily fishing hours

  • Fishing hours in high seas

  • Voyages per year

…”

To find out more about what types of fisheries and where vessels are fishing and landing– plus recommendations to enhance this technique– read the rest of Global Fishing Watch’s interactive blog that allows you to follow a boat’s journey.

 

For more insight into this study, watch their video:

Satellites can reveal global extent of forced labor in the world's fishing fleet

Tags: Global Fishing Watch, Satellite, Forced Labor, Liberty Shared, Machine Learning, Risk, Fishing Fleet
Share:

More Stories

eyes of a person over a map of the world
  • Community Feature

From Global Fishing Watch: Following Forced Labor in the World’s Fishing Fleets

January 15, 2021
2021 showing loading like a computer program
  • SALT Feature

SALT successes in 2020 and what’s next in 2021

January 12, 2021
cartoon image of seafood shelf
  • SALT Feature

The Truth About Electronic Traceability: Lessons Learned from Working with the Seafood Industry

December 3, 2020
lady holding up two cell phones
  • Community Feature

From ICTworks: How to Design Inclusive Digital Programming in International Development

November 20, 2020
MDPI logo
  • Community Feature
  • SALT Feature

Q&A with SALT’s small grant recipient: MDPI

October 28, 2020
chain on boat with boat in background
  • Community Feature

From Pew Trusts: New Tool Helps Evaluate Risk of Illegally-Caught Fish Passing Through Port

September 29, 2020
Image of net in background with title of blog overlaid, as well as SALT logo
  • SALT Feature

“Overcoming Barriers” Series: Role of Human Behavior in Electronic Traceability Implementation

September 17, 2020
Future of Fish Logo
  • Community Feature
  • SALT Feature

Q&A with SALT’s small grant recipient: Future of Fish and Helen Packer

August 21, 2020
Green nets in background with title overlaid
  • SALT Feature

“Overcoming Barriers” Series: Trouble with Technology

August 11, 2020
RECEIVE UPDATES FROM SALT SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Footer Logo
  • What is Salt?
  • Principles
  • Seascape Map
  • Story Hub
  • Get Involved
  • Dive Deeper
  • Linkedin
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 SALT

This product is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of FishWise and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.