A new satellite system is being deployed by a U.S.-led alliance to help Asian nations protect their seas from illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Announced during a summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), comprised of the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia, the initiative will offer satellite-based intelligence to Pacific nations, focusing on smaller Pacific Island nations where China has been building a greater economic and political presence.
The Quad’s newly created Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) will engage a commercial satellite operator to track vessels suspected of illegal fishing. The satellites will track radar and radio frequencies when fishing vessels switch off their automatic identification systems. The IPMDA, which will also aid in response efforts to natural disasters, will operate through several “information diffusion centers,” including one in Singapore and one in the Solomon Islands. The identity of the commercial provider has not yet been disclosed…