Social Responsibility Program Manager, Gabby Lout, speaks with crew aboard a longline tuna vessel in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Ocean Outcomes is proud to highlight our role in an innovative project that demonstrates how electronic monitoring and Wi-Fi technologies can significantly improve crew welfare aboard tuna longline vessels at sea.

A new report detailing this work — Monitoring for Change: Insights from a Pilot on Electronic Monitoring and Wi-Fi Solutions for Social Responsibility — was led by The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International, in partnership with Ocean Outcomes, Global Fishing Watch, and local partners.

The project, which included over a year of preparatory work followed by a six-month pilot project, involved installing electronic monitoring and Wi-Fi systems on tuna longline vessels to assess their effectiveness in monitoring labor indicators and enhancing crew welfare. The findings revealed that electronic monitoring can serve as a powerful tool for detecting on-the-water labor violations and resolving disputes, while Wi-Fi access enables crew members to maintain communication with their families, report grievances safely, and manage their finances, thereby improving their overall well-being at sea.

"Wi-Fi for crews at sea is a critical unlock, enabling crews to speak with family and friends, access grievance mechanisms, and check payments. This connectivity transforms isolation into connection, providing a vital link to the outside world that can help reduce some of the labor risks the distant-water fishing industry faces,” said Sunny Tellwright (pictured above), Ocean Technology & Innovation Program Manager with Conservation International. “Through our pilot program, we gained valuable insights into the practical implementation steps for satellite connectivity. These insights can help inform guidelines and requirements for Wi-Fi access at sea, ensuring that crews are supported, connected, and safer.”

The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and Ocean Outcomes will soon expand on these findings via a second phase of work.

According to Conservation International, Phase Two will focus on increasing the use of electronic monitoring and Wi-Fi from three to ten vessels to gather more data across a greater time span, and evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies in identifying labor risks, supporting grievance reporting, and guiding remediation efforts.

This innovative approach addresses the critical need for improved labor conditions in the fishing industry, where issues such as forced labor, human trafficking, and exploitation are prevalent. By integrating this technology into fisheries management, the study provides a scalable model for enhancing social responsibility and promoting sustainable practices in global tuna fisheries.

Want to learn more about this groundbreaking work?

Join Ocean Outcomes, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International for a live webinar and Q&A on Tuesday, April 29, where project leads will present key findings and next steps, including more details on Phase Two of this work.

This work was made possible with support from Walmart Foundation through a grant by Conservation International.