Using OSINT to identify invisible threats to our oceans

Our oceans are vast, and as we move further from land, ownership of the waters becomes less and less clear, making it easier to hide a host of threats, from oil and chemical spills to ship dismantling and illegal fishing. These activities threaten ocean ecosystems containing millions of unique species, the food we eat and the water we drink. In this article, we will discuss some of the environmental threats to our oceans and how OSINT (open source intelligence) techniques can be used to identify, expose, and address these threats. OSINT techniques, combined with satellite imagery, vessel tracking and social media data analysis, are helping us build a more complete picture of what's happening.

Threats
Ship dismantling involves dismantling ships into parts for later sale, which generates large profits – about $3-10 million per ship. However, the process carries serious environmental and health risks, as hazardous chemicals such as mercury, lead, asbestos and sulfuric acid often leach into water and soil, posing a threat to both workers and wildlife. Most developed countries have passed laws restricting dangerous ship dismantling practices, but some companies, in an effort to maximize profits, try to circumvent these regulations by using tactics such as registering ships under “flags of convenience” or hiding routes to dismantling sites where laws are either weak, or are missing. The Alang shipbreaking yard in India is considered one of the largest ship graveyards, stretching approximately 8.7 miles along the coast and containing 183 dismantling sites. In the magazine Chemistry World the following data is provided:

A 2015 study in Taiwan examined data from 4,427 shipbreaking workers and found that between 1985 and 2008, 940 died from cancer and 436 were diagnosed with various forms of the disease; those with the greatest exposure to asbestos were more likely to develop cancer overall, especially of the esophagus, liver, trachea, and lungs.

Illegal fishing
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) poses a significant threat to ecosystems, natural resources and global food security. Certain fishing methods, such as trawling, which involves dragging a net across the ocean floor, can destroy important seafloor ecosystems such as coral reefs. There is also the risk of accidental bycatch when unwanted species such as dolphins, turtles and sharks are caught in the net.

According to NOAA, illegal fishing occurs in a variety of ways, including failing to report catches or providing false information, retaining fish that do not meet regulations, fishing in restricted areas or during the off-season, using prohibited fishing gear, and engaging in unauthorized transfers or transfers of catch to cargo ships. Operators use tactics to circumvent regulations, such as registering vessels under “flags of convenience” to gain access to new fishing areas, disabling the automatic identification system (AIS) to hide their location, and offloading catch to other vessels and mixing it to make it difficult to identify illegal fishing operations.

Illegal dumping of waste
Commercial ships illegally dump nearly 800,000 tons of waste fuel and oil into the ocean every year, according to various reports. Until 1972, when the US Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) and subsequent updates were passed, various types of waste, including industrial, radioactive, chemical and sewage, were freely dumped into the ocean. . The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international agreement governing marine pollution from ships.

The sheer size of the oceans often makes it difficult for authorities to detect illegal activities such as dumping oil-laced sludge (machine water) into the sea. However, the availability of satellite imagery and Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel tracking have greatly improved the ability to identify these illegal dumpings.

How can we combat threats using OSINT?
Combating threats to the oceans requires a collaborative effort involving not only authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but also citizens who have the ability to analyze threats using open sources to develop intelligence. Some of the most useful tools for identifying illegal activity in the ocean include satellite imagery, social media, and vessel tracking. Let's look at how you can use each of these resources.

Satellite and aerial photographs. Ship recycling.
The use of satellite imagery can be an effective means of preventing illegal ship recycling by helping authorities detect ships entering or leaving unregulated shipbreaking yards. In some cases, ships leaving regulated areas such as Europe may deliberately disable their AIS system to avoid tracking. Imagery is the most effective way to detect a vessel that has deliberately disabled AIS, and is particularly useful in identifying illegally stranded vessels in shipbreaking yards. A simple Google search provides key shipyards around the world, which helps establish a continuous monitoring system to detect any changes. Some useful and free satellite monitoring options are soar.earth And Sentinel Hub EO Browser.

Illegal fishing
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a widespread problem, often involving small fishing vessels under 300 tonnes that are not required to use AIS under International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations. Although regional fisheries authorities are gradually expanding these requirements, many small vessels are still allowed to operate without transmitting their location data, making their activities difficult to track.

To combat this problem, organizations monitoring IUU fishing are turning to artificial intelligence (AI), which, when combined with satellite imagery, can identify patterns of movement that indicate illegal fishing. Although this AI technology is not publicly available, analysts can still rely on satellite and aerial imagery, as well as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. The use of traditional satellite imagery can identify vessels in no-fishing zones, detect illegal equipment on board (such as trawls), and potentially identify the entire fleet. SAR data, known for its ability to penetrate clouds where traditional satellites face difficulties, is available through programs NASA, Umbra's Open Data Program And European Space Agency. However, the images are limited in size and can be difficult to navigate.

Illegal dumping of waste
Illegal discharge of oily sludge is a major monitoring problem at the global level. However, with the help of satellite and aerial photographs, rainfall events can be identified in target regions based on visual markers. For example, the image below shows how a sediment discharge appears as a long, dark trail behind the offending vessel. Monitoring signs like these is an effective way to identify these illegal activities. By combining these images with vessel tracking data, it is possible to pinpoint which vessel is responsible for the violation.

Social Network Analysis
Analysis of various social media platforms and forums such as X, Reddit and LinkedIn can use information provided by users to identify details regarding vessel ownership, movements, plans and other aspects. Social media has proven particularly useful in investigating global illegal activities, as local analysts often share photos and information that would not otherwise be available.

Illegal ship splitting, fishing and waste dumping

These three topics are combined in this section because of their similar investigative techniques. When working with a specific region, it is useful to track specific users who share news from the area of ​​interest to create a feed that suits our needs. However, it is important to verify all information received from social media due to its propensity for misinformation. Social media should be considered as a starting point for investigation. Combining this data with satellite imagery, vessel tracks and previous reports creates a complete understanding of the situation.

Vessel tracking

Tracking a ship's trajectory using satellite communications is like highlighting a process that would otherwise be hidden. Originally developed for collision avoidance, AIS (Automatic Identification System) has evolved into a powerful tool allowing companies to track their fleets and analysts to monitor activity at sea. Satellite signals convey not only a ship's location, but also details such as its ID, weight, destination, speed, and messages, such as the one shown below about a vessel being searched in the Red Sea. While satellite tracking is imperfect and can be deliberately turned off to hide activity, when combined with other tools it becomes an important tool for identifying illegal transhipments underway, analyzing vessel movements, and confirming our observations.

Illegal shipbreaking

Vessel operators engaged in illegal shipbreaking activities may unwittingly reveal their activities through AIS data. Using tools such as Marine Traffic And Vessel Finderanalysts can track the historical routes of ships heading to their final processing destination. Patterns such as identity manipulation or lack of AIS data transmission may indicate that the vessel is heading to an unregistered floating dismantling facility. Integrating these findings with satellite imagery allows us to verify whether a ship leaves a regulated country and ends up on a beach at an unregistered dismantling point. Please note that free ship trackers have limitations on the amount of historical data available. For those working on a budget, it is recommended to use paid tools, such as Windward or Starboardfor more in-depth information.

Illegal fishing

Similar to tracking shipbreaking activities, monitoring the movements of fishing vessels becomes possible when they broadcast their locations. AIS data not only reveals information about a vessel's path, but also provides information about its speed, which can indicate the type of fishing the vessel is doing. In addition, the tracking system can detect ship-to-ship transmissions (STS), which may signal illegal transhipment between a fishing vessel and a cargo ship. As mentioned earlier, fishing operators may attempt to hide their illegal catches among larger legal catches during transhipment. As part of the study, Hawkeye360 used a combination of RF and AIS signals to investigate Chinese fishing vessels near the Galapagos Islands, observing that numerous fishing vessels were turning off their transmitters as they entered the Galapagos Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), indicating possible illegal fishing.

There are also tools developed by NGOs to track illegal fishing. Map Global Fishing Watch is an online tool that uses AIS data to monitor global fishing activity from 2012 to the present of more than 65,000 commercial fishing vessels. Besides, Global Fishing Watch Marine Manager allows you to create a portal based on your area of ​​interest, such as the Galapagos, for continuous monitoring.

Illegal waste disposal

Similar to monitoring illegal shipbreaking, AIS is also useful for monitoring illegal dumping of waste. Satellite resources help identify waste-discharging vessels by illuminating the trail of dark liquid the vessel leaves behind. The question arises: “How to determine which ship is the culprit?” It is possible to determine the day and time a vessel was captured on satellite imagery and, using AIS data, locate vessels broadcasting their positions in that area. For example, Sky Truth shows the vessel in the image below discharging what appears to be sewage. If the vessel has not been identified, historical tracking data could help narrow down potential candidates. However, it is worth noting that historical AIS data has limitations in availability. Researching this particular vessel was not possible for me as the data I have access to only goes back to May 2020. However, once a vessel is identified, we can begin the corporate research process using company data from sources such as OpenCorporatescontract data from SAM and online references to identify ultimate owners and beneficiaries.

Conclusion

With a constant stream of threats to our oceans, OSINT can be used as a powerful and accessible tool to enable governments, NGOs and citizens to collaborate in uncovering and solving these environmental problems. Using OSINT analysis techniques combined with satellite imagery, social network analysis and ship tracking, we can collectively monitor our oceans and protect their critical ecosystems.

Additional Resources

Shipbreaking and ghost fleet maps

Annual excel list of scrapped vessels from shipbreakingplatform.org

Joint Analytical Cell Identification of 150 Chinese fishing vessels

The Guardian: Revealed: ships may dump oil up to 3,000 times a year in Europe's waters

Materials with OSINT tools:
Search by email and nickname
Automation of searching for an account in Telegram through a number.
Simple search for people via telegram
Analysis of Telegram accounts
Bots and services for data reconnaissance VKontakte
We review and practice popular OSINT tools
OSINT: Intelligence in EUROPE
Expanding the meaning and toolkit of OSINT in the United States