Uncovering Underground Ships at Sea: Methods for Detecting Submerged Vessels
In a bid to combat illegal fishing and ensure sustainable fisheries management, New Zealand is leveraging advanced technology. One such innovation is Starboard Maritime Intelligence, a system designed to track marine fishing activities, particularly focusing on "dark vessels" - those that turn off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) to avoid detection.
Starboard uses satellite data combined with advanced machine learning and AI techniques to monitor fishing activities within and around New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). By analysing satellite imagery and other remote sensing data, Starboard can detect suspicious behaviour patterns, identify vessels operating illegally or in restricted areas, and provide actionable intelligence to regulators and enforcement agencies.
Key methods used by Starboard include satellite-based vessel detection and tracking, AI and machine learning, cross-referencing satellite data with fishing registries and EEZ boundaries, and integration with electronic monitoring (EM) systems.
Satellite-based vessel detection and tracking use synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and optical satellite imagery to detect vessels regardless of AIS status. This enables monitoring of dark vessels that deliberately obscure their location. AI and machine learning algorithms analyse patterns of vessel movement and activity to distinguish fishing operations from transit, helping identify abnormal patterns such as vessels fishing outside authorized EEZs or in no-fishing zones.
Cross-referencing satellite data with fishing registries and EEZ boundaries allows determination of whether a vessel's presence is legal, especially within the limits of national jurisdictions defined by the Magnuson-Stevens Act and related regional agreements regulating EEZs. Integration with electronic monitoring (EM) systems combines satellite tracking with onboard sensors and electronic catch reporting, improving fisheries management overall and detecting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities more comprehensively.
The New Zealand Government, through the Ministry for Primary Industries, provides maps of New Zealand fisheries and information about international fisheries management. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's New Zealand Space Agency is the lead government agency for space policy, regulation, and sector development, providing the necessary infrastructure for Starboard's operations.
With oceans covering 70% of the Earth and over 80% of the Southern Hemisphere, monitoring these vast areas is no easy task. However, with technology like Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the fight against illegal fishing and the preservation of sustainable fisheries management is becoming a reality.
References:
[1] Starboard Maritime Intelligence. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.starboardmaritime.com/
[2] Ministry for Primary Industries. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mpi.govt.nz/
[3] Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mbie.govt.nz/
[4] Xerra. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://xerra.ai/
[5] Stuff. (2021, February 12). Retrieved from https://www.stuff.co.nz/
- Energy-efficient technologies and data-and-cloud computing play a crucial role in powering Starboard Maritime Intelligence, enabling seamless analysis of large volumes of satellite data and machine learning algorithms for efficient monitoring and tracking of vessels.
- The integration of environmental-science approaches, such as studying fisheries ecosystems and climate-change impacts, with Starboard's technology serves to enhance its predictive capabilities, forecasting the potential for illegal fishing activities based on factors like seasonal changes, fish migration patterns, and weather conditions.
