THE MARSHALL ISLANDS TO PUBLISH FISHING ACTIVITY ON GLOBAL FISHING WATCH MAP

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- The Republic of the Marshall Islands has committed to sharing its vessel monitoring data on Global Fishing Watch’s public map, bolstering ocean governance and promoting compliance throughout some of the world’s richest fishing grounds.

This momentous decision was announced on April 14, 2022 at the seventh Our Oceans Conference by John M. Silk, Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce for the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The declaration marks the first Pacific island nation to make its fishing activity visible to the world, according to a statement.

The partnership agreement was signed between the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) and Global Fishing Watch, symbolising the two organisations’ dedication to advancing transparency of fishing activities in the Pacific Islands region, home to the world’s most productive tuna fisheries.

All vessels flying the Marshall Islands’ flag and foreign vessels fishing in its fishery waters will appear on Global Fishing Watch’s map through the integration of the government's vessel monitoring system (VMS) data.

These vessels primarily target tropical tuna species of the Western and Central Pacific ocean, which hold environmental, economic and cultural significance across the region’s island nations—around half of the world’s tuna catch comes from these waters.

“Global Fishing Watch is honoured to be partnering with the Marshall Islands to build greater transparency of fishing activity in the Pacific,” said chief executive officer of Global Fishing Watch, Tony Long.

“This progressive decision will help facilitate accountability and good behaviour in the region and support a more sustainable future by strengthening fisheries monitoring.”

Global Fishing Watch uses publicly broadcast automatic identification system data to track close to 70,000 commercial fishing vessels operating globally. Adding VMS data, which is required by many governments, provides an even clearer view of global fishing activity.

The data can assist fishers abiding by the rules through faster, more efficient port entry and provide opportunities to implement regulatory and market incentives to reward them.

The Marshall Islands joins a growing group of countries that are already publicly sharing their VMS data through Global Fishing Watch, including Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru.

-- BERNAMA