Technology and Public Policy to Support Sustainable Fisheries Management in Mexico

Technology is key to gathering the information needed for sustainable fisheries management. Advances in satellite technology and machine learning over the past decade have produced powerful tools for improving research and monitoring methods, paving the way for a better understanding of the human use of ocean resources. Global Fishing Watch (GFW) and Causa Natura (CN) collaborate in applying technological development to help strengthen public policy tools for fishing management in Mexico.

Currently, there are several traceability, communication and monitoring initiatives in the Mexican fishing sector that implement cutting-edge technologies. For example, NADIR, a Mexican organization that provides a platform for effectively managing fishing operations; allows the automatic sending of fishing logs and required documents, recording travel trajectories via GPS, sharing catch information directly with buyers, and labeling and tracking products along the supply chain. Communication between consumers and fishermen is improved through social enterprises such as SmartFish, which is based on tracking technology to offer sustainable and certified seafood; empowering fishing families and cultivating the demand for high-quality, sustainably caught seafood.

Monitoring is crucial for fisheries management, particularly for combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Today's technology makes it possible to monitor global fishing activity through images and signals captured by satellites. The Global Fishing Watch map is a tool that allows you to monitor global fishing activity remotely. The map shows the marine activity and traffic of approximately 65,000 commercial fishing boats that operate in the ocean and are publicly traceable. The information is constantly updated to show the trajectory of the vessels and fishing activity from 2012 to the last three days.

The map is free to access for anyone with an internet connection, allows scientific research, fishing monitoring, seeks to promote better policies to support fisheries management, marine protection and the fight against overfishing. In addition, GFW collaborates with several countries that share their vessel tracking data, which is made public on the map and is visible for monitoring and analysis that benefits these countries.

Mexico has made significant progress in managing industrial and artisanal fisheries, but opportunities remain to promote technologies that promote transparency, in particular with the monitoring and regulation of small-scale fishing. Since 2007, it has become mandatory for industrial fishing vessels to install equipment or transceiver on board that makes up the “Satellite Location and Tracking System for Fishing Vessels” (SISMEP). This system tracks the geographical location of more than 2,000 industrial fishing vessels in Mexico. However, tools such as SISMEP have not yet been implemented in small-scale fishing. The installation of the devices is logistically and financially complicated because there are more than 74,000 smaller vessels around the country. As a result, approximately 97 percent of fishing vessels registered in Mexico are not tracked or regularly monitored.

This is why CN and GFW are working together with Pronatura Noroeste, another non-profit civil organization that works with the fishing sector and in the conservation of areas in northwestern Mexico, to develop a predictor of illegal fishing risk specifically for the small-scale sector.

The dynamic and international nature of fisheries requires collaborative efforts for the sustainable management of our marine resources. This is why collaborations such as the one between GFW, PNO and CN are so important. Multilateral management promotes fisheries sustainability and research collaboration promotes the exchange of specialized knowledge that helps to develop innovative solutions. GFW, PNO and CN combine experience in satellite technology and machine learning with the knowledge of the politics and data of the Government of Mexico to carry out analyses that support fisheries management in Mexico, implementing technological tools where they are most needed. The illegal fishing risk predictor for the small-scale sector is the first project carried out between CN and GFW; we are excited to continue working to support the government for sustainable fisheries management in Mexico.

Global Fishing Watch is an international non-profit organization committed to advancing ocean sustainability through greater transparency. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, our mapping platform allows anyone to view or download data and investigate global fishing activity in near real time and for free. GFW was founded in 2015 through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth and Google. The work of GFW is possible thanks to the generous support of our funding partners and our technology and data providers. globalfishingwatch.org

Causa Natura is a non-profit civil organization that began operating in 2014 with an interest in the development of rural communities. Through applied research, communication using information technologies and collaboration and advocacy, CN promotes transparent, participatory public policies on natural resources that allow accountability under a human rights approach.