#Fishing - Who's watching out for illegal fishing in the world's oceans? It could be anyone at the click of a mouse of the tap of a touchscreen – if a new satellite tracking programme takes off.
NPR's The Salt blog reports on the Eyes on the Seas project, that aims to help authorities the world over keep tabs on illegal fishing activity via a 'virtual watch room' that combines satellite imagery with real-time location data.
The inspiration for the project is the recently launched Global Fishing Watch system. As reported on Afloat.ie last November, this uses specialised software from a small start-up called SkyTruth, which maps AIS data onto satellite maps of the oceans to track the activity of fishing fleets around the world.
The project has the backing of internet giant Google, and now SkyTruth's John Amos has partnered with the Pew Charitable Trusts on the latest version of the initiative to use technology against the ocean's seafood pirates.
NPR has much more on the story HERE.