A recent study from researchers at UC Santa Barbara, published in the journal Science, demonstrates the effectiveness of AI methods in assessing industrial fishing activity within marine protected areas (MPAs) using satellite data.

The research analyzed 1,380 MPAs, which collectively cover 2.1% of the global ocean, including well-known locations like Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Hawaii's Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Findings reveal that 78.5% of these MPAs had no commercial fishing activity, indicating the success of strict fishing bans in protecting marine biodiversity.

Specifically, strongly protected MPAs had, on average, nine times fewer fishing vessels per square kilometer compared to unprotected areas, with 25% showing no fishing vessels at all from 2017 to 2021.

However, some MPAs, such as the Chagos Marine Reserve and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, still face challenges with illegal fishing, averaging around 900 hours of activity per year.

Among the MPAs where illegal fishing was detected, 82% had less than 24 hours of activity annually, suggesting that violations, while concerning, are often minimal.

The study suggests that countries can leverage satellite tracking to enhance patrol efforts against illegal fishing, thereby improving both conservation and economic outcomes.

Moreover, MPAs not only serve to protect marine biodiversity but also provide economic benefits to the fishing industry by fostering increased fish populations in adjacent waters.

These findings align with the Global Biodiversity Framework's target of protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030, aiming to regenerate fish populations and deter illegal fishing.

The researchers utilized 5 billion real-time vessel locations from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and satellite radar imaging, revealing that AIS data often misses nearly 90% of actual fishing vessel detections.

Collaboration with organizations like Global Fishing Watch can further enhance ocean monitoring efforts, particularly for resource-limited nations.

Future research is needed to determine whether the absence of industrial fishing in these MPAs is due to effective enforcement or because these areas are simply less frequented by industrial fishing activities.