Every year, up to 26 million tonnes of fish disappear illegally from the world’s oceans. This means that, according to estimates, one in five fish is caught illegally. This makes IUU fishing—’illegal, unregulated and undocumented fishing activity’—one of the biggest threats to marine ecosystems worldwide. Due to its vast global dimension, illegal fishing often remains undetected.
But that is about to change. An organisation from the UK is bringing light into the darkness; or rather, real-time data onto the internet. With the help of satellite technology and AI, OceanMind is declaring war on illegal fishing, with the ambitious goal of keeping illegally caught fish out of harbours and markets within the next five years and thus stopping the import of fish from IUU catches.
Scope of illegal fishing and the fight against it
IUU fishing is a complex global phenomenon with far-reaching ecological and economic consequences. It threatens fish stocks and marine biodiversity worldwide. It is estimated that illegal fishing causes annual losses in the tens of billions globally. Entire coastal communities can lose their livelihoods as a result. Countries that lack the resources for controls, such as small island states in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and countries in the Global South, are particularly affected. These countries often need to monitor huge areas of ocean, but have no resources to do so. Illegal fishing exacerbates the poverty of local communities in these fishing-dependent countries and leads to increasing food shortages.
A key instrument in the global fight against illegal fishing is the so-called “Agreement on Port State Measures” (PSMA), which 82 nations have signed. This international agreement aims to ensure that illegally caught fish do not enter the supply chain in the first place. Ideally, its import is blocked directly at the harbour entrance, making the fish unsaleable. This should reduce the incentive to continue operating illegally and stop the import of illegal fish, at least in theory. In practice, however, implementation is still failing in many areas. To date, only a fraction of the signatory states to the PSMA have introduced an effective system that checks the origin of the fish caught. This is where OceanMind comes in.
“We have the legal instruments and the technological basis. What is missing is coordinated implementation. That’s exactly what we’re working on.”
OceanMind was founded in 2018 as a non-profit organisation with the mission of protecting the oceans. The organisation sees itself as a technology-based data provider. OceanMind monitors ship movements in the oceans by intelligently collating, analysing and processing data. To do this, the organisation uses publicly available satellite images and ship tracking data from automatic identification systems (AIS) and vessel monitoring systems (VMS). Data from these and other sources is linked together to identify anomalies with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Such anomalies are, for example, when a ship suddenly deactivates its position signals or remains for hours in an area that is actually protected.
What data does OceanMind analyse?
Automatic Identification System (AIS):
Position and movement data that ships send voluntarily.
Satellite images:
Radar and optical images that locate ships even without active signals.
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS):
Localisation data of licensed fishing vessels used by authorities for regular monitoring.
Human Intelligence:
Observations and clues from people on the ground that can provide valuable context to complement technology.
By intelligently monitoring the oceans, OceanMind supports governments in implementing international agreements such as the PSMA as well as national fisheries regulations in a targeted manner. The integration of various data sources provides a comprehensive picture of complex maritime activities. Based on this, local fishing authorities can assess the activities of suspicious vessels with little effort and take targeted action if necessary.
RESET has already reported on the topic of digital monitoring of fisheries via Global Fishing Watch. Like OceanMind, this organisation also relies on satellite, AIS and VMS data to make activities on the world’s oceans visible. Both organisations pursue the goal of bringing more transparency to global fisheries, albeit with different focuses: OceanMind works primarily with governments and authorities to combat IUU fishing. Global Fishing Watch, on the other hand, focuses on the disclosure of data, but also works with governments on some projects. The organisation’s livestream maps are freely accessible and are used by researchers, NGOs and political decision-makers to review and initiate measures.
OceanMind has been working with Microsoft on technology for years. In July 2020, the organisation’s database and data analysis processes were migrated from the previous on-premise solution to the Microsoft Azure Cloud. This allows larger volumes of data to be analysed even more precisely in real time. More than 30 million data points are recorded every day. Compared to the previous on-premise solution, this corresponds to a tripling of the information density. Data-based real-time risk assessments now enable alerts for the entire global fishing fleet.
The map shows where the fishing vessels and cargo vessels travelled before delivering tuna into Thailand during one year. It illustrates the supply chain covering half the planet. From ONEinFIVE to ZEROinFIVE
One in five fish that are currently caught illegally is to become zero in the next five years. This is the goal of the “ZEROinFIVE” initiative announced by OceanMind on 11 June 2025. “Through ZEROinFIVE, we can equip countries with the tools and training to take the PSMA from paper to practice and disrupt the pathways by which illegal catches reach consumers worldwide,” says Nick Wise, CEO of OceanMind.
The example of Thailand shows that this works through intensive cooperation and targeted support from governments. Between 2015 and 2020, OceanMind worked closely with the Thai authorities to implement the PSMA. To this end, an AI-supported risk assessment tool was developed that helps harbour officers to check ship activities and enables data-based import decisions.
This approach is now to be expanded in order to gradually enable more countries to effectively implement the agreement. In 2025 and 2026, it will be the turn of the Philippines and Cambodia, as OceanMind recently announced at the United Nations Ocean Conference. “We have proven that this approach works in the regions where we have worked with authorities,” says Nick Wise. “Now we need philanthropic partners, co-operative governments and agencies to help us scale up quickly. With expanded support, we can achieve what once seemed impossible: no illegal imports of fish within five years. The ocean can’t wait, but together, we don’t have to.”
According to OceanMind, these three steps are needed to combat illegal fishing
1. Monitoring of vessel activities:
Data-based check of route, catch history and flag status
2. Detection of suspicious activities:
Identification of anomalies and IUU fishing through AI-supported analyses
3. Denial of harbour access:
Local blockade of vessels with illegal cargo
Technology: both friend and foe
The fact that OceanMind’s work is based on data also brings challenges. Not all countries are willing to provide AIS data. China, for example, has severely restricted access to it. Gaps in satellite coverage mean that satellite data may also be missing in some areas.
In addition, not only OceanMind, but also the opponents are acting smartly. Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), one of the most important data sources in the fight against IUU fishing, are sometimes deliberately deactivated or manipulated in order to conceal illegal fishing. A study from 2022 shows that the AIS was manipulated in around six percent of vessel activities. Vessels that operate without an active AIS are referred to as “dark ships” or “ghost ships” as they are difficult to locate.
Furthermore, monitoring the oceans raises ethical questions and concerns about data protection, particularly because Microsoft is involved. Clear regulations are therefore needed on what data is collected about ships and their crews. The constant further development of algorithms must also ensure that measures are limited to ships whose behaviour is conspicuous and which are highly likely to be operating illegally, to protect legally operating ships and their crews.
The future of the fight against illegal fishing lies in cooperation
Despite promising technological possibilities, the fight against illegal fishing remains a challenging task. “Only if we know what is happening at sea can we regulate it sensibly – and give the oceans the chance to recover,” says OceanMind CEO Nick Wise.
However, a global ZEROinFIVE requires coordinated cooperation between governments, environmental protection organisations, local authorities, and not least us consumers. After all, protecting the oceans is a global community project. Even those who take a closer look when shopping can help to better protect our oceans.
What we can consider when buying fish
1. Pay attention to sustainability labels, such as
– MSC (wild catch)
– ASC (farmed fish)
2. Use purchasing guides
– WWF fish guide (also available as an app)
– Good Fish Guide
3. Favour regional products with a clear origin
4. Enquire about the fishing method and region (in shops or restaurants)
5. Quality before quantity – consume less often, but responsibly.
Picture: G.C./ Pixabay
This article is a translation of a guest post by Alexandra Rauscher. She studied business administration with a focus on digital business. She has been working in a digitalisation consultancy since 2020 and writes about digital innovations that support climate protection.
