Tuvalu's Satellite Dark-Vessel Detection — AI-Assisted Fisheries Surveillance Across a 750,000 km² Ocean Territory

Since a December 2021 pilot, Tuvalu's Fisheries Department has used satellite-based surveillance to search its 750,000 km² exclusive economic zone for vessels fishing without broadcasting their position, funded by the World Bank's Pacific Islands Regional Oceanscape Program (PROP).

Synthetic-aperture radar and navigational-radar imagery are matched automatically against known vessel positions on the Starboard Maritime Intelligence platform, originally developed by New Zealand's Xerra Earth Observation Institute, to flag likely 'dark' vessels; the same programme and platform are used by Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Tonga.

Nearly 60 satellite scans have been carried out since December 2021, each covering up to 80% of the EEZ; most scans have turned up at least one potentially dark vessel.

Tuvalu has not published conviction, fine or revenue-recovery figures tied to the programme, and Starboard's proprietary vessel-classification model cannot be independently verified for detection accuracy — a point of note given fisheries access fees make up more than 55% of Tuvalu's government revenue.