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Little-to-no industrial fishing occurs in fully and highly protected marine areas

Published Article

Global

Publication date: July 24, 2025

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Illegal industrial fishing is widely assumed to be common in marine protected areas (MPAs), where enforcement is costly and incentives for poaching are high. Using artificial intelligence and satellite‑based Earth‑observation data, this study quantified industrial fishing activity in fully and highly protected MPAs worldwide. Results showed little to no fishing in most MPAs, with an average of just one vessel per 20,000 km² during satellite overpasses—nine times lower than in unprotected exclusive economic zones. These findings challenge prevailing perceptions of widespread illegal fishing and highlight the value of global remote‑sensing tools for monitoring MPA compliance.

Subject Tags

  • Conservation Technology
  • Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
  • Fisheries

Abstract

There is a widespread perception that illegal fishing is common in marine protected areas (MPAs) due to strong incentives for poaching and the high cost of monitoring and enforcement. Using artificial intelligence and satellite-based Earth observations, we provide estimates of industrial fishing activity in fully and highly protected MPAs worldwide, in which such fishing is banned. We find little to no activity in most cases. On average, these MPAs had just one fishing vessel present per 20,000 square kilometers during the satellite overpass, a density nine times lower than that of the unprotected waters of exclusive economic zones.

Citation

Raynor, J., Orofino, S., Costello, C., McDonald, G., Mayorga, J., & Sala, E. (2025). Little-to-no industrial fishing occurs in fully and highly protected marine areas. Science, 389(6758), 392-395. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt9009

TNC Authors