Kanikosen

The Future of Fisheries Transparency

The most comprehensive global fishing vessel registry. 1.6 million vessel references. Over 100 data points per vessel.

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Closing the Information Gap

In a world where illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens ocean sustainability, Kanikosen translates fisheries intelligence into global action.

Our mission is to close the information gap in the fishing industry, enabling governments, NGOs, and researchers to identify vessels and track their history of reflagging, ownership, and operations.

Earth from space showing ocean coverage

The Registry

Unmatched scope and depth, with granularity designed for dynamic data analysis.

1.6M Fishing Vessel References
100+ Data Points per Vessel

Unique Identifiers

IMO numbers, MMSI numbers, current and historical vessel names for reliable cross-referencing.

RFMO Registration

Tracking across Regional Fisheries Management Organizations for regulatory compliance insight.

Technical Specifications

Length, beam, draft, engine power, fish hold volume, and detailed construction data.

Operational Capabilities

Vessel type classification, primary and secondary fishing gear, and operational range.

Ownership & Control

Current and historical ownership with addresses, enabling identification of complex corporate networks.

Flag History

Complete reflagging records to detect flag-hopping patterns used to evade regulation.

How Data Arrives in Kanikosen: Step by Step

Kanikosen uses a unique vessel identifier anchored to the IMO number—a fixed numeric code—or an MMSI number rather than relying on vessel names as the primary key. The 100+ data fields per vessel entry allow cross-referencing across registries where the same vessel may appear under four or five different name spellings, preventing both missed matches and false duplications in the database.

1

Data extraction

New data on vessels is retrieved from around 200 official registries and databases in their original formats. These sources include RFMOs, national registries, UN agencies, and supranational vessel registers, among others.

2

Compilation & quality control

Compiled data undergoes a quality control and validation process to ensure accuracy. Data is tagged with its estimated trustworthiness and accuracy, and documental evidence is associated for traceability.

3

Standardization

Source data is cleaned and reformatted for consistency. Internationalized denominations are romanized, and measurements are converted to SI units for consistent presentation and filtering of data.

4

Deduplication

Extact-match and near-matches are consolidated and merged to ensure our data is consistent with with importer and exporter trade flow operations.

Specific Source Examples

FAO FishStatJ / FIGIS

FAO’s global fishery production statistics tool, providing nominal catch data by species, fishing area, and flag state.

fao.org/fishery →

ICCAT Task I Statistics

Annual nominal catch data for tuna and tuna-like species by region, gear, flag and species, reported by ICCAT Contracting Parties.

iccat.int →

Eurostat Fisheries Database

EU-level fisheries catch statistics (datasets fish_ca_atl341 and fish_ca_atl471), disaggregated by species, fishing area, and fleet.

ec.europa.eu/eurostat →

Lloyd’s Register of Ships

The world’s principal ship classification register, used in Kanikosen to cross-verify vessel identity, IMO numbers, GRT, and operational status.

lr.org →

How Is Kanikosen Structured?

Each vessel entry contains 100+ data fields, organized in the following thematic blocks:

Identity

Standardized vessel name and numeral, IMO number, AIS/MMSI number, IRCS call sign, national registry serial number, pennant number.

Operational Status

Last known status (Active/Inactive), last known flag, home port/port of registry.

Physical Characteristics

Year built, GRT/GT (max and min), DWT, LOA, breadth, draught, engine power (HP), fish-hold volume (m³), carrying capacity (Mt).

Vessel Type

Classification (e.g., Refrigerated or Live Fish Carrier, Reefer Vessel or Fish Wellboat).

Ownership & Operation

Last known beneficial owner (name, address, country), last known operator (name, address, country), owner IMO registration number.

Communications & VMS

Type of VMS device, Inmarsat C status, voice/data/fax capabilities, and cross-registry status fields for each major registry and RFMO list.

Why It Matters

The lack of transparency in the ownership and operation of distant-water fishing fleets facilitates unsustainable practices, human rights abuses, and document fraud.

Kanikosen provides critical infrastructure for:

  • Digital traceability across the global fleet
  • Identification of "ghost vessels" operating outside regulatory frameworks
  • Corporate auditing to expose hidden ownership networks
  • Supporting enforcement against IUU fishing
Tuna fishing vessel deploying nets at sea

Who We Are

We are a team of fisheries experts, data analysts, and deep learning algorithm developers dedicated to ocean surveillance.

Our work significantly exceeds the content of official tools such as the FAO Fishing Vessels Finder, providing unmatched depth and analytical capability.

Meet the Team
Ship bridge control instruments

Our Story

Kanikōsen (蟹工船) is a Japanese word meaning “crab cannery ship”—a vessel equipped with facilities for catching and canning crabs at sea.

But the name of our registry is inspired by Takiji Kobayashi’s masterpiece of proletarian literature (1929). The novel depicts the brutal conditions endured by workers on a crab-canning factory ship in the seas off northern Japan.

Our name symbolizes the struggle for justice and workers’ rights in the harsh conditions of factory ships, reflecting our commitment to ethics and transparency at sea.

Milestones

From Mediterranean AIS tracking to the world’s most comprehensive fishing vessel registry

2009

Krakken Founded

Mediterranean bluefin tuna fleet tracking via MMSI AIS signals marks the registry’s origin.

2009–2015

Mediterranean to Global

Krakken expands from a regional registry into a worldwide one.

2015–2018

World’s Largest Registry

~850,000 vessels, 135 fields. 200+ official sources, no synthetic data. 8× larger than FAO/IMO/ITU combined.

2018–2024

Academic Publications

Krakken becomes Kanikosen and it's used to underpin several academic and specialized publications.

2025

1,118,605 Vessels

~2.5M historical records. The most comprehensive fishing vessel database worldwide.

Sep 2025–Sep 2027

2nd Generation (Planned)

AI architecture, AIS data lake, dashboarding, geospatial analysis & AR visualization.

Publications

Research and analysis powered by Kanikosen data

2024

Gutiérrez, M., Lemma, A., Gutiérrez, G., & Montenegro, C. Estimating the impact of irregular and unsustainable fishing of distant-water fishing fleets in Ecuador, Ghana, Peru, the Philippines, and Senegal. ODI. PDF

2020

Gutiérrez, M., Daniels, A., Jobbins, G., Gutiérrez Almazor, G., & Montenegro, C. China’s distant-water fishing fleet: Scale, impact and governance. Overseas Development Institute (ODI). PDF

2017

Mielgo Bregazzi, R. Domino effects of cumulative bias and erroneous data in fisheries big-data mapping models. FishSpektrum SL. Link

2016

Daniels, A., Gutiérrez, M., Ganjul, G., Guereñ, A., Matheson, I., & Watkins, K. (2016). Western Africa's missing fish: The impacts of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and under-reporting catches by foreign fleets. Overseas Development Institute. PDF

2015

Mielgo Bregazzi, R. Weight/size structure of Atlantic bluefin tuna fished and/or ranched in the Mediterranean and Northeast Atlantic (1995–2014). ICCAT. PDF

2011

Mielgo Bregazzi, R. Mind the gap: An analysis of the gap between Mediterranean bluefin quotas and international trade figures. Pew Environment Group. PDF

Works Citing Our Analyses

2025

Campling, L. Pelagic imperialism in the 21st century? A geopolitical economy of China’s distant water fishing industry. Journal of Agrarian Change, 25(3), e70005. DOI

2025

Yuan, W., & Pan, X. The fishing moratorium regime under the framework of global marine governance: Insights from China. Frontiers in Marine Science, 12, 1679193. DOI

2025

Kelly, P. F., Marschke, M., & Vandergeest, P. Migrant labour, working conditions and complex jurisdictions in Asian distant water fisheries. In New Directions in South–South Migration (pp. 349–366). Springer Nature Singapore. DOI

2025

Seiyafa, E., Niang Fall, A., Adjei Adams, E., Kane, K., Elegbebe Olalekan, I., N’Souvi, K., & Tannor, S. J. Chinese fishing in West Africa: Responding to the environmental and social impacts [Issue brief]. Atlantic Council & University of Notre Dame. Link

2024

Raharja, D. P., & Karim, M. F. Re-territorialization and the governance of ocean frontiers in Indonesia. Territory, Politics, Governance, 12(9), 1353–1371. DOI

2023

Song, A. Y., Fabinyi, M., & Barclay, K. China’s approach to global fisheries: Power in the governance of anti-illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Environmental Politics, 32(3), 407–426. DOI

2023

Shi, X. International advocacy and China’s distant water fisheries policies. Marine Policy, 152, 105635. DOI

2023

Bond, I., & Mortensen, J. The changing value of Antarctica to Australia’s security policy. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 77(3), 299–316. DOI

2023

Eruaga, O. O. A., & Okukpon, I. The transnational nature of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: Examining global strategies, punishment and solutions. In Y. Eski & A. Wright (Eds.), Maritime Crime and Policing (pp. 63–82). Routledge. DOI

2022

Andrews, A. J., et al. Exploitation history of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 79(2). DOI

2022

Palomares, M. L. D., et al. Report of the 2022 Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna Data Preparatory Meeting. ICCAT/CSIC. Link

2022

Frawley, T. H., Muhling, B., Welch, H., Seto, K. L., Chang, S.-K., Blaha, F., Hanich, Q., et al. Clustering of disaggregated fisheries data reveals functional longline fleets across the Pacific. One Earth, 5(9), 1002–1018. DOI

2022

Hopewell, K. Emerging powers, leadership, and south–south solidarity: The battle over special and differential treatment at the WTO. Global Policy, 13(4), 469–482. DOI

2022

Belhabib, D., & Le Billon, P. Adjacency and vessel domestication as enablers of fish crimes. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 936174. DOI

2022

He, J., & Zhang, X. China revamping decades-old fisheries law to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing: Stimulating the intersection of law, technology, and markets. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 777497. DOI

2022

Nolan, C., Delabre, I., Menga, F., & Goodman, M. K. Double exposure to capitalist expansion and climatic change: A study of vulnerability on the Ghanaian coastal commodity frontier. Ecology and Society, 27. DOI

2022

Finucci, B., Cotton, C. F., Grubbs, D. R., Bineesh, K. K., & Moura, T. Deepwater chondrichthyans. In Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives (pp. 603–634). CRC Press. DOI

2022

Sadler, B., Di Pane, J., & Wolf, C. Securing US maritime rights in our unguarded waters. Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, (3692). Link

2022

Vaughn, B., Dolven, B., et al. China’s role in the exploitation of global fisheries: Issues for Congress (CRS Report No. R47065). Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. PDF

2021

Data acquisition and analysis on the Chinese fishing fleet for The Outlaw Ocean Project (USA).

2021

Flint, C. Introduction to Geopolitics. Routledge. DOI

2021

Skerritt, D. J., & Sumaila, U. R. Assessing the spatial burden of harmful fisheries subsidies. Fisheries Economics Research Unit / Oceana. PDF

2021

Agarwala, N. Advances by China in deep seabed mining and its security implications for India. Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs, 13(2), 94–112. DOI

2021

Liebetreu, D. Dependency with Chinese characteristics? A case study of Chinese engagement in Chile. CUPEA Cuadernos de Política Exterior Argentina, (133), 81–102. DOI

2021

Heazle, M. Assessing COVID-19’s “known unknowns”: Potential impacts on marine plastic pollution and fishing in the South China Sea. Maritime Studies, 20(4), 459–474. DOI

2021

Verblaauw, D. J. Degrading China’s integrated maritime campaign. Joint Force Quarterly, 103, 54–61. Link

2021

Landreth, J. M. The strategic significance of the Chinese fishing fleet. Military Review, 101(3), 35. Link

2021

Núñez-Sánchez, M. J., Dalén, D., & Pérez-Rojas, L. A quantitative data analysis in relation to size, scope and behavioural patterns for the implementation of a port state control regime of the global industrial fishing vessel fleet. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, 20(4), 457–481. DOI

2010

Walker Guevara, M., Willson, K., & García Rey, M. Looting the seas: The black market in bluefin. ICIJ / Center for Public Integrity. Link

In the Media

2026

No man’s water: China’s 17,000-vessel DWF fleet and the rush for the high seas. One Earth. Link

2026

Distruzione totale. La Cina ha sguinzagliato una flotta di 17mila meganavi da pesca. HuffPost Italia. Link

2025

Kelland, K. Sea change needed to help the world’s seafarers. Reuters. Link

2025

Battle to stop Africa’s waters being ravaged by China’s dark fishing fleets. The Observer. Link

2025

El análisis de datos satelitales: una ventana al mundo desde el espacio. datos.gob.es. Link

2024

We’ve measured the cost of unsustainable industrial fishing on coastal communities – and it’s vast. The Conversation. Link

2024

Fishing by dodgy fleets hurts economies, jobs in developing countries: Report. Mongabay. Link

2024

Fishy business: The damage done by industrial fishing in developing countries. Welthungerhilfe. Link

2022

Chinese fishing armada accused of plundering waters around Argentina. The Telegraph. Link

2022

Opinion: The practice of distant water fishing is plaguing our oceans. The Independent. Link

2022

China’s maritime militia breaks rules and charts course for global dominance. Washington Examiner. Link

2022

La factura ambiental y social de ir a buscar pescado a caladeros remotos. elDiario.es. Link

2021

Field, M. Why the world’s most fertile fishing ground is facing a ‘unique and dire’ threat. The Guardian. Link

2021

Zhoushan trials new ownership structure for distant-water fleet. Seafood Source. Link

2021

Chinese fishing captains face jail, big fines for alleged illegal fishing in Vanuatu. The Guardian. Link

2021

Chinese vessels detained by Vanuatu, accused of fishing illegally. The Guardian. Link

2021

More than 130 fishing vessels prey on the South Atlantic. Argentina Today. Link

2020

Ivory Coast opens first protected marine area. Reuters. Link

2020

Pacific Island nations wary of Chinese fishing fleets. The Diplomat. Link

2020

Tiny Pacific nation of Palau detains ‘illegal’ Chinese fishing vessel. The Guardian. Link

2020

US Coast Guard to net wayward Chinese fishing fleets. Asia Times. Link

2020

United States Coast Guard report calls out China for unregulated fishing. The National Interest. Link

2020

300 Chinese fishing ships off South America coast raise food security worries. VOA News. Link

2020

Chinese vessels account for 99 per cent of fishing off Galápagos, report finds. The Telegraph. Link

2020

The origin of North Korea’s ‘ghost boats’. BBC Future. Link

2020

Gutiérrez, M. “Chinese vessels are everywhere.” Seafood Source. Link

2020

Greenfield, P. ‘It’s terrifying’: Can anyone stop China’s vast armada of fishing boats? The Guardian. Link

2020

‘Ghost ships’ catching prey in a natural paradise. ORF. Link

2020

Is China’s fishing fleet a growing security threat? VOA News. Link

2020

Voracious China overfishes international waters to extinction point. India Today. Link

2020

‘They just pull up everything!’ Chinese fleet raises fears for Galápagos sea life. The Guardian. Link

2020

Chinese vessels swarming, Ecuador rushes to protect the Galápagos. Seafood Source. Link

2020

The Galápagos have been invaded by a ‘great army’ of Chinese fishing boats. Corriere della Sera. Link

2020

Chinese overfishing threatens development of West African fishing sector. Seafood Source. Link

2020

Senegal acts to protect its fisheries: Will Ghana do the same? The BFT Online. Link

2020

How China’s fishermen are impoverishing Africa. The Spectator. Link

2020

Giant Chinese fishing fleet depletes stocks around world. The Times. Link

2018

Chow, L. Data-bait: Using tech to hook globe’s multi-billion-dollar fishing cheats. Reuters / Thomson Reuters Foundation. Link

2018

Gutiérrez, M. Big Data contra la pesca ilegal. El País / 3.500 Millones. Link

2018

A lack of big data is hampering efforts to curb illegal fishing in Africa. Quartz. Link

2017

Millions of Africans depend on fishing. We must stop the plunder of their oceans. World Economic Forum. Link

2016

Gutiérrez, M. La Unión Europea, cómplice del saqueo de los mares. El País / Planeta Futuro. Link

2016

La tragedia de los comunes. El País. Link

2016

Tackling illegal fishing in western Africa could create 300,000 jobs. The Guardian. Link

2016

Crack down on illegal fishing to protect millions of workers in W. Africa. Thomson Reuters Foundation. Link

2014

Gutiérrez, M. Think climate change has nothing to do with you? Think again. Thomson Reuters Foundation. Link

2009

Murray, R. (Director). The End of the Line [Documentary film]. Dartmouth Films. Website