Most industrial fishing in marine protected areas goes unmonitored
A study conducted by the University of Montpellier, the IRD, the CNRS, and the NGO BLOOM was published in the journal *Science* on July 24. It reveals that the majority of marine protected areas worldwide remain vulnerable to industrial fishing, much of which occurs outside the scope of public oversight. Nearly half of the 6,000 coastal MPAs (marine protected areas) studied were subject to industrial fishing between 2022 and 2024, and two-thirds of the vessels involved did not report their positions, thereby evading public tracking systems. The actual intensity of industrial fishing in these areas has therefore been significantly underestimated. In short, a large proportion of MPAs do not comply with scientific recommendations and offer little, if any, protection against industrial fishing.
The Reality of Industrial Fishing in Marine Protected Areas
The study draws on data from the NGO Global Fishing Watch, which combines satellite imagery with GPS signals from vessels transmitted via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). This GPS positioning system makes the location and trajectory of vessels publicly available. By cross-referencing this data with satellite imagery, researchers can identify not only registered vessels but also those that do not appear on public monitoring systems.
The study reveals that industrial fishing vessels operate in nearly half of all coastal MPAs and that two-thirds of them evade detection by public systems, including in the European Union, where AIS is mandatory for vessels longer than 15 meters. This groundbreaking approach reveals that industrial fishing in MPAs is far more widespread 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 owe this status primarily to their strategic location—coastal OR remote areas, rarely exploited by industrial fishing—rather than to their level of protection. This reveals an opportunistic placement of MPAs, situated in areas with little fishing activity in order to more easily meet international targets.
Toward Effective Ocean Protection
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 have strict protection, the only measure considered effective for safeguarding marine biodiversity. Most MPAs worldwide do not exclude industrial activities, which runs counter to scientific recommendations. For example, France claims to protect more than 33% of its waters, but only 4% of them are subject to regulations and a truly effective level of protection, of which only 0.03% are in metropolitan waters.
This study shows that the number of MPAs does not determine their quality, and highlights the urgent need for effective ocean protection so that marine protected areas can deliver their expected social and ecological benefits. In this regard, the authors make three recommendations:
- MPAs must follow scientific recommendations and ban industrial fishing; otherwise, they should not be considered true MPAs.
- MPA must also be located in areas under pressure, not just in areas that are underutilized.
- Fisheries monitoring must be strengthened and made more transparent, in particular by expanding the use of AIS on a global scale.
Practical information:
- Publication date: Thursday, July 24, 2025
- The full study: here
- The MARBEC unit: here