Find us on social media

Fisheries
Fisheries

Researchers say legal barriers may hinder satellite monitoring of marine protected areas

Responsible Seafood Advocate

Unclear regulations could prevent authorities from using satellite evidence to enforce fishing restrictions in marine protected areas

marine protected areas
New research indicates that legal barriers may limit the use of satellite vessel tracking data to enforce fishing restrictions in marine protected areas. Photo by SpaceX.

Satellite technology can detect fishing activity in marine protected areas (MPAs), but unclear regulations may prevent authorities from using that evidence to enforce restrictions, according to a new study.

Led by researchers at the University of Plymouth, the study examined regulations governing nearly 10,000 MPAs across six continents, along with approximately 120 pieces of national legislation, to assess whether existing legal frameworks support satellite-based enforcement.

The researchers found that only 4 percent of the legislation examined explicitly referenced satellites or vessel tracking. Meanwhile, 61 percent of MPA zones contained discretionary language such as “may” or “should,” and about one-third lacked clear prohibitions.

The findings suggest that advances in satellite monitoring have outpaced the legal rules needed to translate vessel detections into enforcement action.

Ad for [BSP]

“There are thousands of MPAs all over the world that have been introduced to protect our oceans, but most MPA rules were written for an era of patrol boats and eyewitnesses,” said Fabio Favoretto, a lecturer at the University of Plymouth and the study’s lead author. “We now live in a world where satellites have transformed how we observe the ocean and that includes revealing where, when and what a vessel was doing in a protected area. Now the monitoring technology is there; what is often missing are the regulations that allow authorities to act on it.”

Eye in the sky: Europe employs satellites to advance aquaculture

The study, published npj Ocean Sustainability, identifies several changes that could strengthen satellite-based enforcement, including replacing ambiguous wording with explicit prohibitions, defining restrictions more precisely and requiring more advanced vessel-tracking systems where appropriate.

The researchers also recommend clarifying whether electronic monitoring data can be used in enforcement proceedings and reviewing MPA regulations before investing in additional satellite-monitoring systems. They estimate that implementing these and other changes could more than double countries’ regulatory preparedness for satellite-based enforcement.

“Satellites can now see illegal fishing inside marine protected areas, but most rules aren’t written in terms a satellite can prove,” said senior author Enric Sala, executive director of National Geographic’s Pristine Seas program. “Rewriting them would more than double our ability to act on what we detect.”

Read the full study.

Now that you've reached the end of the article ...

… please consider supporting GSA’s mission to advance responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances. The Advocate aims to document the evolution of responsible seafood practices and share the expansive knowledge of our vast network of contributors.

By becoming a Global Seafood Alliance member, you’re ensuring that all of the pre-competitive work we do through member benefits, resources and events can continue. Individual membership costs just $50 a year.

Not a GSA member? Join us.

Support GSA and Become a Member

Author

  • Responsible Seafood Advocate

    Responsible Seafood Advocate

    [103,114,111,46,100,111,111,102,97,101,115,108,97,98,111,108,103,64,114,111,116,105,100,101]

Share

Tagged With

illegal fishing IUU fishing marine protected areas MPAs News satellite data

Related Posts