# Application for Program Officer – Europe ([Global Fishing Watch](https://globalfishingwatch.org))

Program Officer - Europe | May 2020 | 1 of 2

To whom it may concern,

As an ambitious researcher and passionate advocate with extensive experience in marine governance, I am excited to apply for the Program Officer position at Global Fishing Watch. In my role as Senior Researcher in International Marine Policy at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) , I am engaged in a range of activities that aim to facilitate regional cooperation and strengthen ocean governance. I produce policy-relevant research and collaborate with NGOs and scientists to advocate for positive changes to conservation and management of marine biodiversity.

I share GFW’s mission - to protect the ocean through effective governance - and believe that transparency can be a transformative force for marine conservation. I am keen to contribute my knowledge, skills and network to advance this mission in Europe.

### Knowledge and experience

As part of the STRONG High Seas project , I have developed a work package on monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS), focussing on emerging technologies, international regulations, and advocating for MCS in a future treaty. I organised a fact-finding mission to expand our network and assess current challenges, meeting with experts from the FAO, academia, NGOs and industry, and visiting the UK Satellite Applications Catapult. This established a foundation for: international expert workshops on MCS technologies and policies ; a regional workshop in South America, which I conducted in Spanish; and a UN side event, co-hosted with GFW . We produced two reports, proposing options for a treaty and providing the basis for ongoing advocacy. Interventions by GFW staff at our events, and lively exchanges on the sidelines, gave me a deeper understanding of GFW’s work and strategy.

Publishing analyses of UN and EU fishing regulations and advocating for fisheries closures in the Indian Ocean familiarised me with the realpolitik influencing decision-making in fisheries management bodies. I also recently co-authored an assessment of gaps in high seas fisheries management frameworks. Through my varied research and teaching, I have developed broad knowledge of EU regulations (e.g. Common Fisheries Policy, Marine Strategy Framework, and the MSP and EIA Directives). Recently, as part of an internal reflection on long-term strategy, I conducted exploratory research on aquaculture, distant-water fishing, and the role of China in international marine policy. I am currently developing a project proposal on marine geopolitics.

### Analytical and strategic skills

Working for a small institute, I am required to strategically develop a work programme that can, with limited resources, generate both impact and visibility in a crowded and complex field. I continuously monitor current developments, seeking niches where we can contribute useful analysis and identifying specific roles we can fulfill. I have thereby developed a varied body of research and events that has secured our position as both a leader on previously neglected critical issues (fisheries, MCS, impact assessment) and as an objective and respected voice in international policy processes.

For example, I analysed web traffic and noted continued interest in our outdated overview of high seas issues. As UN discussions were gaining momentum, I saw an opportunity to produce a comprehensive guide to serve as an introduction for newcomers and a reference for seasoned delegates. I drafted a high-quality analysis, seeking feedback from reviewers with diverse perspectives and procuring forewords from the Chair of the negotiations and France’s Special Ambassador for Climate Change. I then planned a communications campaign, leveraging my extensive network to target key actors and using my social media and outreach skills to ensure wide distribution.

The Long and Winding Road is now widely recognised as the essential guide to the negotiations. It remains one of our most popular publications and generates regular invitations from editors, journalists and event organisers, including the opportunity to write a comment piece in Nature .

Program Officer - Europe | May 2020 | 2 of 2

### Relationship building

I played a key role in establishing the Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance , working with colleagues to identify strategic partners and collaborating to develop projects that have attracted significant long-term support and funding. I coordinate with a wide range of actors to implement these projects, including government, research institutes, and UN and EU bodies. In previous roles I have been responsible for coordinating a global community of renewable energy experts and for hiring and managing consultants.

I am open and easy-going, and find that my genuine interest in people enables me to quickly form personal connections. I follow up with new contacts, sharing publications and information where appropriate - in my experience, the most effective way to turn connections into collaborators is to be friendly and useful. I assiduously update my contact list, noting relevant context that allows me to easily identify potential collaborators and sources of up-to-date information.

These relationships have provided me and my institute with excellent opportunities, including invitations to speak at high-level closed-door workshops, lead development of significant publications, and provide input to policy-making processes. I have also relied on these skills to bring success to a range of personal projects, such as building a pool of dedicated readers and curators of the Little Blue Letter and crowdfunding a book published by Penguin Random House .
Other relevant skills
Communications
● Confident public speaker, representing IDDRI in various forums and regularly speaking at a range of events. Media interviews and articles in English and French.
● Experience communicating with diverse audiences, from scientists to the general public.
● Strong professional network and social media following .
Events
● Organisation of high-level expert meetings, workshops, and stakeholder dialogues (5-70 participants), as well as side events and conference sessions.
● Key role in the Marine Regions Forum , an international invite-only conference (200 participants).
● Teaching and training courses for negotiators and government officials.

Work ethic
● Motivated and productive - strive to get things done as effectively and efficiently as possible.
● Self-aware and adaptable - quickly see where I can complement others and add value.
● Supportive and kind - lifting others up and favouring collaboration over competition.
● Curious lifelong learner and fledgling mentor - eager to extend myself and share my experience.

I have closely followed Global Fishing Watch since its inception and have been consistently impressed with both the ambition of the project and the results it has delivered. In particular, I see GFW’s success in partnering with governments to access proprietary VMS data as a watershed development and would hope to chart a course toward similar developments in Europe.

On a personal note, I have had the pleasure of working with GFW staff on numerous occasions and am keen to join such a friendly, passionate and productive team.

Kind regards,

Briefing note
Fisheries transparency and the work of Global Fishing Watch
● Overfishing, pollution and climate change are impacting the Iberian coast, threatening ecosystems that support the fishing and tourism industries.
● Fisheries transparency benefits actors across the value chain by reducing monitoring costs, improving traceability, and supporting scientific research and innovation.
● Global Fishing Watch uses cutting-edge technology to track commercial fishing, increasing transparency and helping to improve fisheries management.

The benefits of fisheries transparency
Increasing transparency benefits actors across the fisheries value chain:
● Governments can more easily identify vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other crimes at sea.
● Seafood suppliers and retailers can see where and how fish are caught, facilitating efforts to source from boats that operate legally and responsibly.
● Researchers can better study ocean health, identify vulnerable areas and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures and fisheries policies.
● NGOs and journalists can identify and investigate suspicious vessels, and advocate for stronger environmental protection.
● Fishers can demonstrate that they are operating legally and responsibly, enabling them to access markets for sustainable, traceable seafood.

### Introducing Global Fishing Watch

We are an independent non-profit organization dedicated to advancing ocean sustainability through increased fisheries transparency. GFW was founded in 2015 through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth and Google. We use cutting-edge technology to visualise, track and share data about global fishing activity. The GFW platform supports scientific research and advocacy, helping to tackle overfishing and improve fisheries management.
How it works
① We collect public vessel tracking data and partner with governments to share proprietary monitoring data. ② Our experts “teach” algorithms to identify fishing activity and look for patterns. ③ Our public map allows anyone to monitor commercial fishing, for free, in near real-time.
Our impact
● Using GFW data and analysis during a patrol in the North Pacific, the US Coast Guard produced an eightfold increase in identified violations.
● Cooperating with Indonesian and Panamanian authorities, we supported INTERPOL’s efforts to apprehend a notorious vessel wanted in several jurisdictions.
● Collaborating with the FAO and other partners, we published groundbreaking analysis of commercial fishing and transshipment, illuminating a practice that can mask illegal activity.
● Incorporating GFW data into Bloomberg Terminal, a mainstream business platform that reaches hundreds of thousands of users, to support investment and innovation in sustainable fisheries.

Sources

### Global Fishing Watch

The capture of the MV NIKA: a case of illicit fishing and a showcase for how to beat it Foreign Vessels Analysis in Indonesian Water Up To 2014 And After 2014
Full Speed Ahead
Global atlas of AIS-based fishing activity
How it works
Life Below Water: Prioritizing safe and decent working conditions for fishers and fisheries observers Life Below Water: Improving fisheries transparency to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals More fishing inside, more sharks outside marine protected areas
New partnership aims to build a better understanding of the ocean
On the frontline against illegal fishing in the world’s biggest ocean
Sharp decline in foreign fishing boats in Indonesian waters
Transshipment

News
New Minister of the Sea says if we don’t protect the ocean, “we will spoil tourism” https://algarvedailynews.com/news/17315-new-minister-of-the-sea-says-if-we-don-t-protect-the-oc ean-we-will-spoil-tourism
New Economics Foundation, Landing the Blame: Overfishing in the North East Atlantic 2020 https://neweconomics.org/2020/03/landing-the-blame-overfishing-in-the-northeast-atlantic-2020 UN Chronicle, Portugal and the Ocean Economy https://unchronicle.un.org/article/portugal-and-ocean-economy

Other
European Environment Agency, The North-east Atlantic Ocean
OSPAR, Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast https://www.ospar.org/convention/the-north-east-atlantic/iv