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With six of the seven main tuna species already fully fished or overfished, this study aims to find a correlation between tuna distribution and spawning grounds with reefer activity. Tuna is a highly sought-after fish species and reefers provide increased fishing activity while their use in transshipment can also aid in IUU fishing that mainly targets tuna sub-species. On a global scale, the study was unable to find any correlation between reefer activity and tuna distribution or habitat.

Transshipment at high seas is very difficult to monitor, allowing the possibility of illegally caught fish to enter the legitimate seafood market, or enabling human rights abuses. This paper uses AIS data to track global transshipment behavior. They find that a majority of transshipment occurs at high seas outside of EEZ boundaries–areas that may lack national jurisdiction or where regulations are difficult to enforce. Additionally, possible transshipment encounters are happening with vessels flying flags of convenience. Together, these findings paint a scene of large transparency issues in global transshipment behaviors that will need to be addressed by governing bodies.