Retrieve fishing activity events and vessel identity data for specific vessels using the Global Fishing Watch API
domain: globalfishingwatch.org · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Create a Global Fishing Watch account and generate an API access token from the API documentation portal (api-doc.globalfishingwatch.org).
Include the token as a Bearer token in the Authorization header of requests to the Vessels API (search/resolve vessel identity by MMSI/IMO/callsign) or the Events API (fishing, encounters, loitering, port visits).
Query the Events API with vessel ID(s), a date range, and event type filters to retrieve AIS-derived fishing or encounter events.
Paginate through results using the API's offset/limit parameters for large date ranges or vessel sets.
Use the official gfwr (R) or gfw-api-python-client (Python) package if you prefer a maintained client library over raw HTTP calls.
Known gotchas
GFW APIs are licensed for non-commercial use only by default; commercial use requires a separate agreement with Global Fishing Watch.
Fishing activity is inferred from AIS behavior models, not verified ground-truth — expect false positives/negatives, especially for vessels with intermittent AIS transmission or in areas with poor satellite coverage.
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