Google, the world's largest internet search company, is putting its highly advanced web-based services to some good use. In an effort to limit illegal overfishing in world oceans, the web giant has enabled its engineering services, mapping software and financial support to help conservation groups fight this critical battle. The web giant calls the new initiative "Global Fishing Watch," which is basically a web-based tool that allows real-time monitoring of fishing fleets around the world.
Global Fishing Watch is a joint initiative between Google, Oceana and SkyTruth. The service will prevent any unauthorised activities by keeping tabs on the location of fishing vessels.
"With hundreds of millions of people around the world depending on our ocean for their livelihoods, and many more relying on the ocean for food, ensuring the long-term sustainability of our ocean is a critical global priority," Google explains on its Global Fishing Watch site. "We need a tool that harnesses the power of citizen engagement to hold our leaders accountable for maintaining an abundant ocean."
The new initiative comes in the wake of a critical alert sent out by conservationists. It is quite alarming how overfishing is destroying the ocean's ecosystem with fish such as bluefin tuna and other species on the verge of extinction, CNET reports. The profits on rare species are extremely high and hence, attract illegal activities. As a result, overfishing of certain fish leads to extinction and also disturbs the food cycle in turn affecting the ecosystem
Global Fishing Watch hopes to change that by extracting useful data from satellites and watching the oceans in places where human sight cannot reach. The open nature of the tool also involves the general public along with the authorities as inspectors of any illicit oceanic behavior. With countless number of eyes watching ocean fishing, this is certainly a major step in limiting all illegal activities.
