GLOBAL, application closes July 15 2026
About the Company
Global Fishing Watch is an international, non-profit organization committed to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency. We create and publicly share knowledge about human activity at sea to enable fair and sustainable use of our ocean. Founded in 2015 through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google, GFW became an independent non-profit organization in June 2017. Using cutting-edge technology, we create and publicly share map visualizations, data, and analysis tools to enable scientific research and drive a transformation in how we manage our ocean. By 2030, we aim to monitor and visualize the impact of ocean-going vessels, both industrial and small-scale, that are responsible for the vast majority of the global seafood catch. We believe human activity at sea should be common knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean commons for the common good of all.
Global Fishing Watch is working to enhance fisheries management by promoting transparency, building analytical capacity, and fostering regional collaboration. Through open data, satellite technology, and partnerships with governments and stakeholders, we aim to equip decision makers with the tools needed to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, support small-scale fishers, and improve marine conservation. Our program focuses on sharing insights, capacity development and the integration of advanced monitoring and evaluation techniques to drive evidence based policy and sustainable ocean governance.
Within our global strategy, the biodiversity pillar and our regional work in the Mediterranean focus on supporting evidence-based decision making for marine conservation measures, including fisheries management measures, marine protected areas (MPAs), and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).
Context
Effective fisheries management and marine conservation require reliable information on where, when and how fishing activities occur. Across the Mediterranean, governments are increasingly seeking to strengthen evidence-based decision-making for fisheries management, marine protected areas (MPAs), spatial planning, and biodiversity conservation. However, significant information gaps remain, particularly regarding the spatial distribution of fishing effort and the interaction between fishing activities and sensitive marine ecosystems.
Global Fishing Watch (GFW) has developed innovative approaches to address these challenges through the use of satellite technologies, vessel tracking systems, radar and optical imagery, and advanced analytical tools. By combining these technologies with national datasets and local knowledge, GFW aims to support governments in improving fisheries governance, strengthening monitoring and management systems, and enhancing the effectiveness of marine conservation measures.
In the Mediterranean region, GFW is working with national authorities and partners to better understand fishing activity patterns, validate and complement existing fisheries information, and identify opportunities for integrating fisheries data into management and conservation processes. This includes supporting the use of fisheries information in fisheries management, monitoring and control systems, marine protected area planning and management, and broader ocean governance initiatives.
Small-scale fisheries represent an important component of Mediterranean fisheries and are often characterized by limited spatial monitoring. This consultancy aims to consider the broader fisheries context, integrating available fisheries datasets, local ecological knowledge, vessel registries, monitoring systems, and other relevant information sources to improve the understanding and use of fisheries data for management and conservation purposes.
Global Fishing Watch seeks a qualified consultant with strong knowledge of fisheries in the target country, access to relevant fisheries datasets and stakeholders, and the ability to collaborate with government authorities. The consultant will support the validation and interpretation of fisheries information, the development of integrated spatial products, and the identification of practical applications of fisheries data to support decision-making in the Mediterranean context.
Objectives
- Validate GFW data with existing knowledge of Moroccan Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF)
- Compare and cross-check existing SSF datasets, including Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), landing site records, vessel registries, and other national sources, against Global Fishing Watch maps derived from radar and optical vessel detections.
- Assess the spatial and temporal consistency of GFW-derived fishing activity maps with locally known fishing grounds, seasonal patterns, and gear-specific activity.
- Identify gaps, discrepancies, and opportunities to refine both local and GFW datasets for improved accuracy and reliability.
- Create integrated maps of main SSF fishing grounds in Morocco
- Develop high-resolution spatial representations of small-scale fishing activity along the Mediterranean coast of Morocco by combining GFW potential fishing activity maps with existing SSF datasets.
- Ensure that maps capture key information, including seasonal variability, gear type distribution, and relative intensity of fishing effort.
- Provide outputs in formats suitable for GIS-based analyses and decision-making by government agencies and other stakeholders.
- Facilitate engagement with Moroccan government agencies
- Present integrated maps and insights to relevant ministries, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and other institutional stakeholders.
- Support discussions on how these maps can inform spatial planning, compliance monitoring, sustainable management of small-scale fisheries, and marine protected area (MPA) design and enforcement.
- Demonstrate the practical application of combining GFW radar and optical vessel detection data with local knowledge to enhance decision-making.
- Facilitate workshop/training sessions implementation
- Disseminate results to broader stakeholders in collaboration with GFW
- Prepare clear, accessible visualizations and reports suitable for national and regional fisheries stakeholders, including fishers' associations, research institutions, and conservation organizations.
- Collaborate with GFW to present findings in workshops, meetings, or webinars, ensuring knowledge transfer and discussion of methodological approaches, limitations, and potential applications.
- Highlight opportunities for ongoing monitoring, data integration, and future research to strengthen the sustainability and management of Moroccan Mediterranean SSF.
Timeline and deliverables
Phase 1: Data Review and Validation (August – Mid September 2026)
- Summary report of existing SSF data and quality assessment.
- Validation analysis comparing GFW-derived fishing activity with local datasets.
- Recommendations for integrating datasets in mapping.
Phase 2: Map Development and Integration (August – Mid September 2026)
- High-resolution georeferenced maps and spatial datasets illustrating small-scale fishing activity by area, season, and gear type.
Metadata and methodology documentation describing data sources, integration process, and limitations
Phase 3: Government and Stakeholder Engagement (September – October 2026)
- Presentation materials (slides, figures, and summary notes) for workshops and meetings.
- Workshop or webinar with government agencies and stakeholders to review results and discuss potential applications.
Final project report summarizing results, methodology, validation, and recommendations for management and monitoring.
Expected Project End Date: 31 October 2026
Submission requirements
Interested individuals should submit a proposal including a detailed plan and budget. The proposal should consist of:
- A cover letter explaining the provider's interest and qualification for the consultancy including a description of previous experience with the types of work proposed in the RFP.
- A narrative proposal outlining how the provider intends to fulfil the responsibilities outlined in the previous section.
- A descriptive budget outlining the total cost of fulfilling the terms of the RFP.
- A proposed timeline for completing the consultancy.
Submission deadline
Proposals should be submitted by July 15 2026
Equal Opportunities: Global Fishing Watch is an equal opportunities employer. Global Fishing Watch is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our organization and in the greater ocean management and conservation community. We believe that diverse backgrounds, skills, knowledge and viewpoints make us a stronger organization. Bringing together professionals who possess broad experiences and a spectrum of perspectives will enable us to reach our goal of improved ocean governance faster. We hire and promote qualified professionals without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or parental status, national origin, age, physical or mental disability or medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Our organizational goals match the urgent challenges facing our global ocean, and our mission is designed to help secure a healthy ocean for all. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of humanity's diversity, by providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees of Global Fishing Watch and for our partners, vendors, suppliers and contractors.
