Global Fishing Watch (GFW) has signed an agreement with Brazil to publish its vessel-tracking data.
“This movement is quite symbolic of the transformative effort that actual mandate is putting aiming better management of fishery resources,” Cadu Villaça, the technical director of the Coletivo Nacional da Pesca e Aquiculture (Conepe), Brazil’s seafood trade group, told SeafoodSource.
Tracks of Brazil’s commercial fishing vessels can now be viewed by anyone, in real-time, for free on GFW’s mapping platform, according to the organization.
“Brazil’s decision to adopt fisheries transparency demonstrates a shared ambition to enhance their current vessel monitoring system and strengthen compliance in their waters,” GFW CEO Tony Long said in a press release. “The secretary of fisheries and aquaculture will now have the information needed to ensure sound fisheries management and promote the sustainability of Brazil’s fish stocks for generations to come.”