Four of us hunch over a screen with the radio operator. We're looking at AIS (Automatic Identification System) information, a tracking system used to locate vessels.
In fact, anyone can see a basic version of this information online. But there's a reason we're freezing our arses off here in the Arctic rather than checking the information, slipper-clad, from our sofas.
Despite being required by regulations on certain vessels, not all of them can be found on AIS. And those who have reason to want to slip off the screens have a variety of options to help them go dark.
The transponder on ships is meant to be installed as high as possible at the top of the ship, where it can broadcast the most easily. But it's often found installed deep below deck, in the engine room - conveniently the location from which it's most difficult to transmit.
Transponders are sometimes even wrapped in tinfoil to dampen transmission capability - finally, a tinfoil hat that works. But the most low-tech option remains the ever-popular fortuitous "accidental" removal of transponder plug from socket.
So why would a ship want to disappear?
For fishing vessels, a likely cause is that they're fishing inside protected zones. But they can also be passing fish they've illegally caught, and don't have quota for, onto another vessel. The crew tell us they've even seen dinghies piled high with fish being sent from one ship to another, which really raises the question - how exactly did your fish find its way onto your plate?
So that's why I'm writing this from up here in the Arctic, wrapped in hoodies, gloves and legwarmers. We need go straight to the vulnerable areas where fishing is taking place. These are remote, ice landscapes that are truly the final frontier of fishing. As part of our journey, we'll visit some areas that appear to be empty - but stay tuned, as we may find more than meets the eye.
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