Global Fishing Vessel Tracking: Why the U.S. should lead with AIS
Global Fishing Vessel Tracking: Why the U.S. should lead with AIS
The MOC
By LT Austin Newcomer
May 29, 2025
Among states, multilateral institutions, and leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), there is growing belief that an international vessel tracking agreement will be necessary to achieve sustainable fisheries and combat the scourge of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF), which has been estimated to account for roughly one in five fish caught worldwide. Beyond its ecological impacts, it is now widely understood that IUUF destabilizes coastal economies; undermines maritime security and governance; and is linked to forced labor, human trafficking, and other crimes. IUUF is, in part, enabled by blind spots in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA). In 2024, a study published in Nature found that roughly 75 percent of the world’s industrial fishing vessels are not publicly tracked– a considerable blind spot. For the United States, public fishing vessel tracking could be key to achieving longstanding fisheries transparency and seafood traceability goals; if done right, it could also further other national strategic priorities. The United States should align its domestic regulations and diplomatic strategy to champion an international agreement centered on the adoption of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) on all fishing vessels.
The idea of a fishing vessel tracking agreement has seen some multilateral momentum since Norway proposed such an agreement to the Food and Agriculture Organization Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in 2022. The proposal resulted in the initiation of a global study on vessel tracking being led by COFI’s new Subcommittee on Fisheries Management, with results expected in late 2025. The United Nations General Assembly noted anticipation of the study results in their 2024 resolution on sustainable fisheries. Advocacy for such a study and agreement extends beyond UN member states; the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency, which includes Global Fishing Watch and other prominent NGOs in the space, lists public vessel tracking as one of its ten policy principles in its Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency released in 2024.
VMS vs. AIS
As the international community awaits the results of the global study on vessel tracking, two primary technologies are certain to emerge as potential solutions: Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and AIS. Both have distinct features, strengths, and limitations. The two technologies can and do coexist, and they even complement one another, but with finances limited in developing nations, where IUUF is most pervasive, one technology may have to be prioritized over the other.
VMS Strengths: VMS was designed specifically for fisheries management and (in addition to tracking vessel position) can transmit data such as electronic logbooks or declaration codes. It has been widely adopted in national regulations and in fisheries governed by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) as part of their Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) regimes. VMS data is proprietary, shared between the operator and authority, and protects sensitive information and competitive details (e.g., fishing grounds). The units are designed to operate continuously and be tamper-resistant so that authorities can rely on the accuracy of their transmissions.
VMS Limitations: VMS requirements are driven predominantly by the fishery a vessel is engaged in, omitting many fisheries and vessels and resulting in a patchwork of approved devices. The proprietary nature of VMS means there is a lack of transparency and barriers to collaboration and research. VMS operates on a fixed schedule, transmitting data only periodically (e.g., hourly) rather than in real-time. As for cost, VMS vary in their components and can be expensive to procure, with ongoing subscription fees, and the authority requiring them must be outfitted to receive and evaluate the data. In the United States, a recent federal appellate court ruling rejected a new VMS regulation, which may have set precedence, making future VMS regulations tenuous.
AIS Strengths: AIS was initially developed as navigational safety equipment for collision avoidance but has proven to be a versatile technology with broad applications. These broad applications mean benefits for fishing vessel operators and authorities beyond monitoring fisheries. For vessel operators, AIS allows them to avoid collisions by being able to identify and communicate quickly with other vessels to make passing arrangements—even those not visible on radar. Critically, they are more certain to be located and quickly aided when in distress. For authorities, AIS data is a boon to MDA, which is critical to maritime security, law enforcement beyond fisheries, and understanding and developing the marine transportation system. AIS data is publicly accessible, providing unparalleled transparency for governments, non-government organizations, and researchers. AIS operates under a universally recognized framework established under the International Maritime Organization. This ensures uniformity in data transmission, allowing seamless integration and interoperability across regions. AIS transmits vessel positions continuously, allowing for immediate detection of suspicious activity and faster response times. AIS devices have a low upfront cost and no subscription fees, making them more accessible for small-scale operators and developing countries.
AIS Limitations: AIS data can be deliberately falsified (i.e., spoofing) or turned off. Smart regulation and integrating AIS with complementary tools, such as satellite imagery or machine learning, can help mitigate this issue. AIS also does not include tailored data for fisheries management, such as declarations of fishing zones or gear type, though models have been developed to automatically categorize activity type based on vessel movements.
While both VMS and AIS have their strengths, the advantages of AIS align more closely with the goals of a global vessel tracking agreement. Its open-source nature and global standardization make it uniquely suited to promote transparency and equity, ensuring that tracking data can be shared and accessed across borders. Moreover, AIS’s real-time capabilities and cost-effectiveness address key limitations of VMS, particularly for small-scale fisheries and developing nations.
U.S. Leadership Opportunities
The United States is well positioned to lead in the global effort to establish a comprehensive vessel tracking framework.
Domestically, the United States has the regulatory tools to lead by example in vessel tracking, but gaps in coverage and fragmentation between AIS and VMS requirements remain significant hurdles. Currently, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) mandates AIS on commercial vessels 65 feet or longer under the Marine Transportation Security Act (MTSA), while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) imposes VMS requirements on certain fisheries through the Magnuson-Stevens Act. However, many fishing vessels fall outside these regulations, and some vessels must comply with both systems, creating unnecessary redundancies and raising costs for operators.
To address these gaps, the United States should expand AIS requirements to all commercial fishing vessels regardless of size or fishery—establishing AIS as the national baseline for fishing vessel tracking and potentially obviating VMS. Leveraging the broad authority granted to the USCG by MTSA, this expansion would enhance MDA, improve enforcement capabilities, and provide greater safety and accountability for vessel operators. NOAA could then capitalize on the AIS expansion and phase out VMS mandates, simplifying compliance and reducing costs for both the fishing industry and federal agencies in keeping with principles in their National Standard Guidelines.
NOAA should require the submission of a vessel’s unique Maritime Mobile Service Identity number (the primary identifier in an AIS message) as a condition of permitting and for AIS to be operated at all times underway or in season, enabling an effective MCS to include the automatic detection of suspicious activity. Failure to broadcast AIS, or spoofing, would become a fisheries violation, similar to how VMS noncompliance is currently handled. While VMS has traditionally served a fisheries management role, smart AIS regulations offer sufficient capability to meet many of the same objectives, particularly when integrated with complementary tools. A standardized AIS-based system would enhance transparency, reduce redundancy, and improve MDA across all regions and sectors.
Internationally, the United States has a significant opportunity to shape the future of vessel tracking through leadership in multilateral forums and bilateral partnerships. Through COFI and RFMOs, the United States can advocate for AIS as the preferred technology for achieving transparency, equity, and cost-effectiveness in vessel tracking. Bilaterally, the United States has demonstrated how AIS data can be operationalized to support developing nations in addressing maritime challenges. Sharing tools like SeaVision enables partner nations to visualize and analyze AIS data, offering advanced capabilities such as geofencing and activity analysis within their sovereign waters. By providing these cutting-edge capabilities, SeaVision strengthens MDA for countries with limited resources, helping them combat IUUF and other maritime security threats.
Despite the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act explicitly listing AIS as a viable vessel tracking technology alongside VMS, the United States’s National 5-Year Strategy for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (2022-2026) omits any mention of AIS. This omission represents a missed opportunity to elevate AIS as a cornerstone of MCS in international fisheries governance. By integrating AIS into its national strategy and continuing to expand support for AIS adoption through bilateral initiatives, the United States can solidify its leadership role and drive momentum toward a global vessel tracking agreement.
By championing AIS domestically and internationally, the United States can set a global standard for transparency and accountability in fisheries management. These efforts will not only increase MDA and combat IUUF but also reinforce U.S. leadership in maritime governance and security.
LT Austin Newcomer is a U.S. Coast Guard officer assigned to the Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy in Washington, DC. Since enlisting in 2007, he has served in a variety of operational assignments spanning both prevention and response mission sets. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy.
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.
By LT Austin Newcomer
Among states, multilateral institutions, and leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), there is growing belief that an international vessel tracking agreement will be necessary to achieve sustainable fisheries and combat the scourge of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF), which has been estimated to account for roughly one in five fish caught worldwide. Beyond its ecological impacts, it is now widely understood that IUUF destabilizes coastal economies; undermines maritime security and governance; and is linked to forced labor, human trafficking, and other crimes. IUUF is, in part, enabled by blind spots in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA). In 2024, a study published in Nature found that roughly 75 percent of the world’s industrial fishing vessels are not publicly tracked– a considerable blind spot. For the United States, public fishing vessel tracking could be key to achieving longstanding fisheries transparency and seafood traceability goals; if done right, it could also further other national strategic priorities. The United States should align its domestic regulations and diplomatic strategy to champion an international agreement centered on the adoption of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) on all fishing vessels.
The idea of a fishing vessel tracking agreement has seen some multilateral momentum since Norway proposed such an agreement to the Food and Agriculture Organization Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in 2022. The proposal resulted in the initiation of a global study on vessel tracking being led by COFI’s new Subcommittee on Fisheries Management, with results expected in late 2025. The United Nations General Assembly noted anticipation of the study results in their 2024 resolution on sustainable fisheries. Advocacy for such a study and agreement extends beyond UN member states; the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency, which includes Global Fishing Watch and other prominent NGOs in the space, lists public vessel tracking as one of its ten policy principles in its Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency released in 2024.
VMS vs. AIS
As the international community awaits the results of the global study on vessel tracking, two primary technologies are certain to emerge as potential solutions: Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and AIS. Both have distinct features, strengths, and limitations. The two technologies can and do coexist, and they even complement one another, but with finances limited in developing nations, where IUUF is most pervasive, one technology may have to be prioritized over the other.
VMS Strengths: VMS was designed specifically for fisheries management and (in addition to tracking vessel position) can transmit data such as electronic logbooks or declaration codes. It has been widely adopted in national regulations and in fisheries governed by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) as part of their Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) regimes. VMS data is proprietary, shared between the operator and authority, and protects sensitive information and competitive details (e.g., fishing grounds). The units are designed to operate continuously and be tamper-resistant so that authorities can rely on the accuracy of their transmissions.
VMS Limitations: VMS requirements are driven predominantly by the fishery a vessel is engaged in, omitting many fisheries and vessels and resulting in a patchwork of approved devices. The proprietary nature of VMS means there is a lack of transparency and barriers to collaboration and research. VMS operates on a fixed schedule, transmitting data only periodically (e.g., hourly) rather than in real-time. As for cost, VMS vary in their components and can be expensive to procure, with ongoing subscription fees, and the authority requiring them must be outfitted to receive and evaluate the data. In the United States, a recent federal appellate court ruling rejected a new VMS regulation, which may have set precedence, making future VMS regulations tenuous.
AIS Strengths: AIS was initially developed as navigational safety equipment for collision avoidance but has proven to be a versatile technology with broad applications. These broad applications mean benefits for fishing vessel operators and authorities beyond monitoring fisheries. For vessel operators, AIS allows them to avoid collisions by being able to identify and communicate quickly with other vessels to make passing arrangements—even those not visible on radar. Critically, they are more certain to be located and quickly aided when in distress. For authorities, AIS data is a boon to MDA, which is critical to maritime security, law enforcement beyond fisheries, and understanding and developing the marine transportation system. AIS data is publicly accessible, providing unparalleled transparency for governments, non-government organizations, and researchers. AIS operates under a universally recognized framework established under the International Maritime Organization. This ensures uniformity in data transmission, allowing seamless integration and interoperability across regions. AIS transmits vessel positions continuously, allowing for immediate detection of suspicious activity and faster response times. AIS devices have a low upfront cost and no subscription fees, making them more accessible for small-scale operators and developing countries.
AIS Limitations: AIS data can be deliberately falsified (i.e., spoofing) or turned off. Smart regulation and integrating AIS with complementary tools, such as satellite imagery or machine learning, can help mitigate this issue. AIS also does not include tailored data for fisheries management, such as declarations of fishing zones or gear type, though models have been developed to automatically categorize activity type based on vessel movements.
While both VMS and AIS have their strengths, the advantages of AIS align more closely with the goals of a global vessel tracking agreement. Its open-source nature and global standardization make it uniquely suited to promote transparency and equity, ensuring that tracking data can be shared and accessed across borders. Moreover, AIS’s real-time capabilities and cost-effectiveness address key limitations of VMS, particularly for small-scale fisheries and developing nations.
U.S. Leadership Opportunities
The United States is well positioned to lead in the global effort to establish a comprehensive vessel tracking framework.
Domestically, the United States has the regulatory tools to lead by example in vessel tracking, but gaps in coverage and fragmentation between AIS and VMS requirements remain significant hurdles. Currently, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) mandates AIS on commercial vessels 65 feet or longer under the Marine Transportation Security Act (MTSA), while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) imposes VMS requirements on certain fisheries through the Magnuson-Stevens Act. However, many fishing vessels fall outside these regulations, and some vessels must comply with both systems, creating unnecessary redundancies and raising costs for operators.
To address these gaps, the United States should expand AIS requirements to all commercial fishing vessels regardless of size or fishery—establishing AIS as the national baseline for fishing vessel tracking and potentially obviating VMS. Leveraging the broad authority granted to the USCG by MTSA, this expansion would enhance MDA, improve enforcement capabilities, and provide greater safety and accountability for vessel operators. NOAA could then capitalize on the AIS expansion and phase out VMS mandates, simplifying compliance and reducing costs for both the fishing industry and federal agencies in keeping with principles in their National Standard Guidelines.
NOAA should require the submission of a vessel’s unique Maritime Mobile Service Identity number (the primary identifier in an AIS message) as a condition of permitting and for AIS to be operated at all times underway or in season, enabling an effective MCS to include the automatic detection of suspicious activity. Failure to broadcast AIS, or spoofing, would become a fisheries violation, similar to how VMS noncompliance is currently handled. While VMS has traditionally served a fisheries management role, smart AIS regulations offer sufficient capability to meet many of the same objectives, particularly when integrated with complementary tools. A standardized AIS-based system would enhance transparency, reduce redundancy, and improve MDA across all regions and sectors.
Internationally, the United States has a significant opportunity to shape the future of vessel tracking through leadership in multilateral forums and bilateral partnerships. Through COFI and RFMOs, the United States can advocate for AIS as the preferred technology for achieving transparency, equity, and cost-effectiveness in vessel tracking. Bilaterally, the United States has demonstrated how AIS data can be operationalized to support developing nations in addressing maritime challenges. Sharing tools like SeaVision enables partner nations to visualize and analyze AIS data, offering advanced capabilities such as geofencing and activity analysis within their sovereign waters. By providing these cutting-edge capabilities, SeaVision strengthens MDA for countries with limited resources, helping them combat IUUF and other maritime security threats.
Despite the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act explicitly listing AIS as a viable vessel tracking technology alongside VMS, the United States’s National 5-Year Strategy for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (2022-2026) omits any mention of AIS. This omission represents a missed opportunity to elevate AIS as a cornerstone of MCS in international fisheries governance. By integrating AIS into its national strategy and continuing to expand support for AIS adoption through bilateral initiatives, the United States can solidify its leadership role and drive momentum toward a global vessel tracking agreement.
By championing AIS domestically and internationally, the United States can set a global standard for transparency and accountability in fisheries management. These efforts will not only increase MDA and combat IUUF but also reinforce U.S. leadership in maritime governance and security.
LT Austin Newcomer is a U.S. Coast Guard officer assigned to the Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy in Washington, DC. Since enlisting in 2007, he has served in a variety of operational assignments spanning both prevention and response mission sets. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy.
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.