"The ocean is a major industry hub, acting as a marine highway for shipping vessels, a connector for transport ships and cruise lines, and a critical food and economic resource for the world’s fishing fleets.
However, this sprawling marine ecosystem, which covers more than 70 percent of the planet, also provides a perfect place for unregulated human activities to hide in plain sight, experts say. A recent study revealed just how much fishing activity is slipping under the radar, finding that roughly three-quarters of the world’s industrial fishing ships are not publicly tracked.
“The reason this matters is because it’s getting more crowded [at sea] and it’s getting more used and suddenly you have to decide how we’re going to manage this giant global commons,” David Kroodsma, director of research and innovation at the nonprofit Global Fishing Watch and co-lead author of the study, told The Verge. “It can’t be the Wild West. And that’s the way it’s been historically.”
This undetected and unregulated activity poses serious ethical and environmental risks, but scientists are tapping into a variety of technologies to shed light on these “dark vessels.” "
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