New study quantifies what we already knew: 75% of fishing vessels don't use AIS

[shimari]

A new study in Nature compared 2 petabytes of satellite data with AIS data and found that 75% of fishing vessels don't use AIS.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06825-8

A concise summary of the paper is here https://theconversation.com/we-used-...lopment-219367

The results aren't surprising, but I guess the interesting use of the datasets made it eligible for Nature.

[Mike OReilly]

Nice reference shimari. It certainly affirms my own observations, and is why I say it is foolish for people to rely on AIS as a primary nav tool.

It's a useful tool, but should never be fully relied on.

[sailorboy1]

I will add that I suspect a lot them also run dark at night. I have a real to suspect this!

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I will add that I suspect a lot them also run dark at night. I have a real to suspect this!

They either are dark or have the brightest lights you can imagine.

[JPA Cate]

Yes, they sometimes run dark at night; and, the timber ones are not good radar targets, either. Which is a couple of reasons why it is good to look for silhouettes against the night sky as part of one's regular night watch behavior.

I actually think, though, that it is the little motor boats, with a couple of guys in them, hidden by the swells, out fishing in the pre-dawn light that are the hardest to see and deal with.

Also, some of the cray/lobster fishermen poach others' cray pots, dark. It's a tough world out there.

Ann

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Yes, they sometimes run dark at night; and, the timber ones are not good radar targets, either. Which is a couple of reasons why it is good to look for silhouettes against the night sky as part of one's regular night watch behavior.

I actually think, though, that it is the little motor boats, with a couple of guys in them, hidden by the swells, out fishing in the pre-dawn light that are the hardest to see and deal with.

Also, some of the cray/lobster fishermen poach others' cray pots, dark. It's a tough world out there.

Ann

Exactly. The real risk are all those zippy little boats. None of them are using AIS either.

[sv_pelagia]

Interesting and no surprise (assuming we are discussing commercial fishing).

We found larger fishing boats in Mexico had AIS (of course, not the small fishing "pangas"). In contrast, few medium/large commercial Canadian fish boats here in British Columbia seem to broadcast AIS.

Any suggestion that AIS is better than or replaces radar at night or in the fog seems foolish in light of these facts.

[Jimbo2010]

I'll rely on my radar

[Calaban-Alleria]

AIS is great, when the other boat has it. I have it, I like it.
BUT I cant imagine anyone would ever say "AIS is better than or replaces radar".
Its a useful addition to other means, not a replacement.

[UFO]

Most of them do not respond on the VHF either

[Tin Tin]

I think the title should be 75% of fishing boats don't "broadcast" their AIS position, and I would imagine that is to either not be caught in no fish zones or to tell the competition where they are, apart from not having any AIS device at all. We have been hailed a few times up the US east coast at night by fishing vessels that know our name, but are AIS invisible to us ( we see their lights and on radar ).

[Tin Tin]

I think the title should be 75% of fishing boats don't "broadcast" their AIS position, and I would imagine that is to either not be caught in no fish zones or to tell the competition where they are, apart from not having any AIS device at all. We have been hailed a few times up the US east coast at night by fishing vessels that know our name, but are AIS invisible to us ( we see their lights and radar signal).

[GreenWave]

I venture that it is much more than 75%. And all the other comments about radar and vhf non-response is spot on. They are disasters waiting to happen. Avoid them!

[SomeGuyInaShirt]

It's funny how fishing boats will hang out in pea soup fog 70 miles offshore with no lights and no AIS on but when I come out of the mist and nearly t-bone them, magically, they can move out of the way fast!😀

[deblen]

Originally Posted by SomeGuyInaShirt

It's funny how fishing boats will hang out in pea soup fog 70 miles offshore with no lights and no AIS on but when I come out of the mist and nearly t-bone them, magically, they can move out of the way fast!😀

They keep impressive watch,don't they.