Most industrial fishing in marine protected areas is not monitored.
A study conducted by the University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, and the NGO BLOOM was published in the journal Science on July 24. It reveals that the majority of marine protected areas around the world remain exposed to industrial fishing, much of which escapes public oversight. Nearly half of the 6,000 coastal MPAs (marine protected areas) studied were fished industrially between 2022 and 2024, and two-thirds of the vessels involved did not transmit their position, thus evading public monitoring systems. The actual intensity of industrial fishing in these areas has therefore been greatly underestimated. In short, a large proportion of MPAs do not comply with scientific recommendations and offer little or no protection against industrial fishing.
The reality of industrial fishing in marine protected areas
The study is based on data from the NGO Global Fishing Watch, which combines satellite images and GPS signals from ships transmitted by the Automatic Identification System (AIS). This GPS positioning system makes the position and trajectory of ships public. By cross-referencing this data with satellite image detections, researchers can not only locate registered ships, but also those that do not appear on public surveillance systems.
The study reveals that industrial fishing vessels operate in nearly half of coastal MPAs and that two-thirds of them escape detection by public systems, including in the European Union, where AIS is mandatory for vessels over 15 meters. This novel approach reveals that industrial fishing in MPAs is much more significant than previously estimated, as the AIS data used by most governments reflects only a limited part of the reality. The study also shows that MPAs free of industrial activity are so mainly because of their strategic location—coastal OR remote areas, little exploited by industrial fishing—and not because of their level of protection. This reveals an opportunistic placement of MPAs in areas with little fishing activity in order to more easily achieve international targets.
Towards genuine protection of the ocean
MPAs are one of the most effective tools for protecting the ocean, marine life, and small-scale fisheries. While countries have committed to protecting 30% of their waters by 2030 and more than 9% of the ocean is officially covered by marine protected areas (MPAs) as of July 2025, the reality is quite different: less than 3% of these areas benefit from strict protection, the only measure considered effective in protecting marine biodiversity. Most MPAs around the world do not exclude industrial activities, which goes against scientific recommendations. For example, France claims to protect more than 33% of its waters, but only 4% of these areas benefit from regulations and a truly effective level of protection, of which only 0.03% are in metropolitan waters.
This study shows that the quantity of MPAs does not determine their quality, and highlights the urgent need for effective protection of the ocean so that marine protected areas can deliver their expected social and ecological benefits. With this in mind, the authors make three recommendations:
- MPAs must follow scientific recommendations and prohibit industrial fishing, otherwise they should not be considered true MPAs.
- MPAs must also be located in areas under pressure, not just in areas that are under-exploited.
- Fisheries monitoring must be strengthened and made more transparent, in particular by promoting the widespread use of AIS worldwide.
Practical information:
- Release date: Thursday, July 24, 2025
- The complete study: here
- The MARBEC unit: here