Food & Water Stories

Fishing for Better Data

Using electronic monitoring to improve fisheries transparency and enhance ecological and socioeconomic resilience across large-scale fisheries

Water-level view of a fishing boat rocking on the ocean in Palau.
Palau TNC is working with fishermen in Palau to test new fishing practices and methods to reduce bycatch and to sustainably manage the Pacific tuna fishery. © Jonne Roriz

This Just In:

Pacific Island Tuna Distributes $100,000 to Marshall Islands to Support Conservation

TNC partnered with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, one of the world’s largest tuna fisheries, to establish Pacific Island Tuna, a sustainable seafood supplier that sources its catch from vessels with 100% monitoring and improved transparency. As designed, the first distribution of $100,000 from Pacific Island Tuna company was distributed to the Republic of the Marshall Islands in June to support conservation programs on Arno Atoll.

We Need More Eyes on Tuna (2:40) In June 2023, Walmart and Sam’s Club joined the Tuna Transparency Pledge, committing to 100% monitoring on the vessels they source tuna from by 2027. This will help prevent deadly bycatch and guard against overfishing and human rights abuses on the water.

Dive into the Numbers

  • 3.3 billion people rely on seafood as a major source of protein

    3.3

    Billion people rely on seafood as a major source of protein

  • 2/3 large-scale fisheries are being overfished or already have been experiencing overfishing

    2/3

    Global fisheriess are either overfished or nearing irreversible damage

  • The global seafood market value was over $250 billion USD in 2022 and is expected to reach nearly $350 billion USD by 2027

    $250

    The global seafood market value was over $250 billion USD in 2022 and is expected to reach nearly $350 billion USD by 2027

  • 6 Countries have made commitments to 100% monitoring in their large-scale fisheries

    6

    Countries have made commitments to 100% monitoring in their large-scale fisheries

Overview

Large-scale fishing occurs on more than half of the ocean’s surface—more than three times the area covered by land-based agriculture. Vessels in these fisheries are often fishing for highly commercialized species like tuna and shrimp. Large-scale fishing provides seafood that one in seven people around the world rely on for protein and supports millions of livelihoods.

In most fisheries around the world, fishers are required to report their catch to government or supply chain entities, but this self-reporting is often unverifiable. This reality creates the conditions for many legally licensed fishing vessels to conduct widespread illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities such as misreporting and underreporting of the number and type of species caught; shark finning; and retention of endangered, threatened, and protected species. A deadly feedback loop has emerged between fishers, supply chain stakeholders, and governments that perpetuates illegal and unsustainable activities that directly threaten the health of our oceans and communities. Without accurate and timely data on fishing activity, we cannot responsibly manage our global fisheries. 

To solve this issue, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is invested in Electronic Monitoring (EM)—the use of on-board video cameras, sensors, and GPS—to improve fisheries transparency and transform large-scale fisheries across the globe.

What Is Electronic Monitoring (EM)?

Infographic on how electronic monitoring is the critical link in fisheries management.
Filling the Data Gap Electronic Monitoring is the Critical Link in Fisheries Management. © TNC

EM is a proven tool that illuminates dark spots in fisheries and fills critical data gaps that impede transparency, enforcement, and science-based fisheries management. EM provides detailed data on fishing efforts, catch composition, bycatch of non-target species (i.e., sharks and sea turtles) and adherence to environmental and social commitments while at sea. EM also drives consumer confidence that seafood products have been harvested legally, sustainably and without labor abuses.

Since 2015, TNC has been working across geographies to engage with fishery, government, and industry stakeholders to support improved fisheries transparency and advance EM uptake. Now, we have created a groundswell of EM momentum and are working around the world to develop innovative solutions to make EM more reliable, functional, and affordable.

Our Strategy

TNC has created a groundswell of EM momentum. To meet this moment, we need to combine transformative EM technology improvements with innovative market and policy partnerships.

Technology

Today, most EM programs manually remove hard drives from vessels when they return to port, where they are subsequently transported to data centers for human review. This is difficult to coordinate at scale, exorbitantly expensive (data review can account for as much as 60% of annualized program costs) and it is often ineffective given the time delay between the fishing event and the data availability. These factors can degrade the value of EM data and prevent critical interventions that would otherwise protect marine species and keep IUU seafood products out of the seafood supply chain. TNC is leading innovative solutions to address these issues and accelerate the successful adoption of EM globally:

  • Green illustrated icon of a globe with a locator pin on it.

    Building a Global Electronic Monitoring Data Platform

    Develop a tool to facilitate the transfer, storage, governance, and reporting of EM data in one easy-to-use cloud-based platform that can operate across geographies and EM programs.

  • Green illustrated icon of computer and smartphone.

    Integrating Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence into EM Systems

    Reduce costs and provide near-real-time information to industry and government stakeholders on the legality and sustainability of a vessel’s catch before products enter global supply chains.

Video electronic monitoring equipment.
ALL RIGGED UP Video electronic monitoring equipment on a Gulf of Maine commercial fishing vessel. © David Hills
Technology on a trawler
ELECTRONIC MONITORING Gear sensors, video cameras, GPS and computer combine information to provide detailed data on vessels' catches. © TNC
ALL RIGGED UP Video electronic monitoring equipment on a Gulf of Maine commercial fishing vessel. © David Hills
ELECTRONIC MONITORING Gear sensors, video cameras, GPS and computer combine information to provide detailed data on vessels' catches. © TNC

On-the-Water

TNC is working to develop EM leadership for country government and industry partners across several geographies. These fisheries are selected based on their ability to bear the early transaction costs of scaling EM and test new EM applications. So far, we have supported pilot projects in over 18 different geographies. To build on this work, we are continuing to support on-the-water implementation in new geographies and through new use cases for EM by:

A net filled with frozen yellowfin tuna hoisted up in the air.
Frozen yellowfin tuna Frozen yellowfin tuna © Jason Houston

Demonstrating the value of EM in partnership with industry and government.

Build on foundational work to pilot and inform EM program design and implementation to cultivate buy-in from public- and private-sector actors to commit to EM.

Large tuna purse seine fishing boats in Pohnpeia water.
Tuna-fishing boats. Large tuna purse seine fishing boats in Pohnpeian waters off-loading their tuna catches to trampers that will keep the tuna frozen and transport the tuna to ports in China and Japan. © Nick Hall

Improving EM for transshipment monitoring and verification.

TNC has tested and proven that EM can be a critical tool for verifying and monitoring transshipment activities (when an offload of a product or crew member changes from one vessel to another while still out at sea). We will scale this body of work to provide more incentive for fisheries authorities to adopt EM.

A man looking out a window of a fishing boat.
THE LONG HAUL TNC is working with fishermen in Palau to test new fishing practices and methods to reduce bycatch and to sustainably manage the Pacific tuna fishery. © Jonne Roriz

Using EM to support human rights safeguards.

Develop parameters for how EM can be used as a tool to eliminate human rights abuses at sea.

Markets

Improving technology and data analytics is imperative for EM to operate at scale, but to create transformational change we need to catalyze market leadership. TNC has secured partnerships with all major US tuna brand suppliers, with participation from major retailers like Walmart. Increasing market commitments has the potential to incentivize political reform and create economic advantages for early market adopters, especially as consumers are made more aware of these unsustainable fishing practices and their ecological and socio-economic impacts. TNC is accelerating market leadership from major global seafood suppliers and retailers by:

        1. Driving 100% monitoring commitments from key seafood stakeholders.

        2. Deepening market engagement across the supply chain. 

TNC is no stranger to this work and is seeking to find and utilize innovative strategies for accelerating this work. TNC is now adapting Pacific Island Tuna, a joint venture between TNC and the Republic of the Marshall Islands that is disrupting the $50 billion/year global tuna market to align supply chain incentives around delivering legal, sustainable seafood products to market that enhance supply chain resilience.

Pacific Island Tuna (4:43) TNC is collaborating with several industry and government leaders to develop innovative strategies for improving fisheries transparency using a markets-based approach that incentivizes sustainability and Pacific Island Tuna is just the beginning.

Policy

We have learned firsthand that getting the policy details right matters. In partnership with fisheries management authorities and multilateral institutions, TNC is prioritizing engagement at all levels to drive the adoption of streamlined policies that catalyze EM uptake and ensure EM programs deliver tangible conservation outcomes. We will do this by providing technical support to countries and regional bodies on the development of fisheries transparency laws and regulations and by demonstrating EM’s ability to fill data gaps to understand the health of target fish stocks and the fisheries’ impact on endangered and threatened species. TNC will drive coordination and collaboration to advance EM policy uptake by:  

  • Demonstrating the value of EM through out prototypes.

    Driving 100% monitoring commitments from fisheries management authorities

    We will engage with our government partners, new and old, to advance EM program design and implementation that can help countries reach their commitment objectives.

  • Streamlining policy development.

    Streamlining policy development

    To enable greater EM policy uptake, TNC is creating a policy toolkit that provides targeted technical EM support and guidance.

  • Computer and electronic device icons

    Hosting workshops for communities in critical geographies

    These workshops will foster an informal network where leading EM geographies can learn from one another, reinforce local policy gains, and highlight areas of collaboration for international policy development in key seafood-supplying nations.

Fish market.
THE FISH MARKET Improved data from fisheries can help ensure that fish for the market is coming from sustainable sources. © Andy Bustin
× Fish market.
Men working on a fishing boat processing fish.
MEASURING THE CATCH A fisherman measures his catch in view of the electronic monitoring cameras. Video reviewers will convert lengths to weight to be used for science and management. © Ayla Fox
× Men working on a fishing boat processing fish.
THE FISH MARKET Improved data from fisheries can help ensure that fish for the market is coming from sustainable sources. © Andy Bustin
MEASURING THE CATCH A fisherman measures his catch in view of the electronic monitoring cameras. Video reviewers will convert lengths to weight to be used for science and management. © Ayla Fox

Places We Work

TNC is engaging in more than 25 countries and has supported over 10 EM pilot projects. This work has fostered major EM interest and commitments across several of these geographies including 100% electronic monitoring commitments in: Chile, Federated States of Micronesia, Ghana, New Zealand, Palau, and Seychelles.

TNC Global Fisheries Map
EM in Action TNC has engaged in EM projects in over 25 countries and is working with government, community, and market leaders to further this work. Six countries have made serious commitments and TNC is now highlighting the work of these nations to encourage new country commitments around the world. © TNC

Dive Deeper into EM

  • The Nature Conservancy's 70-page paper provides detail and input from more than 40 electronic monitoring experts.

    DOWNLOAD
  • Electronic Monitoring Program Toolkit, A Guide for Designing and Implementing Electronic Monitoring Programs

    Electronic Monitoring Toolkit

    Produced by The Conservancy and partners, this is an overview of questions and issues that may arise when governmental bodies and fishery managers are considering the development and implementation of electronic monitoring programs for fisheries.

    DOWNLOAD