Asia excels at tracking fishing vessels but fails those on board

In April, the International Transport Workers’ Federation identified 80 cases of labour abuse involving 72 vessels linked to 25 fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council across the world, casting doubt on whether seafood sustainability efforts are paying sufficient attention to the welfare of people working at sea. As governments, retailers and regulators face growing pressure to ensure seafood is not only environmentally sustainable but also socially responsible, the gap between technological visibility and human protection is increasingly difficult to ignore.

Asia is undergoing a rapid transformation in maritime surveillance. What was once a vast and largely unobservable domain is now increasingly transparent through satellites, artificial intelligence, vessel monitoring systems and digital platforms capable of tracking fishing activity across extensive ocean spaces. Governments can now identify vessel movements, monitor fishing efforts and detect potential violations at a scale unimaginable only a decade ago.