“Ghost Ships: How Commercial Fishing Vessels Vanish Along West Africa's Maritime Borders” — what this page in the network covers. A new study reveals a troubling pattern: commercial fishing vessels are disappearing along the international maritime boundaries of West Africa. Researchers tracking vessel movements found that ships frequently switch off their tracking systems—a practice known as going dark—precisely at the borders between national waters. This deliberate vanishing act often coincides with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which costs the region billions of dollars annually and threatens food security for millions who depend on fish as a primary protein source.
The waters off countries like Senegal, Mauritania, and Guinea-Bissau are among the hardest hit, where weak enforcement and vast ocean expanses create a low-risk environment for illicit operators. By mapping these disappearance hotspots, scientists hope to provide authorities with actionable intelligence to target patrols and satellite monitoring. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.