APIs Archives - Global Fishing Watch Publicly sharing knowledge about human activity at sea Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:39:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://globalfishingwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/cropped-gfwisologo512x512-1-1-32x32.png APIs Archives - Global Fishing Watch 32 32 What is an API? https://globalfishingwatch.org/faqs/what-is-an-api/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:07:07 +0000 https://globalfishingwatch.org/?post_type=ht_kb&p=27175 APIs stands for Application Programming Interface; in the same way that humans interact and communicate through gestures, language or words, platform and software products connect and interact between them using application programming interfaces. Platforms transfer data using these interfaces, in a format understandable by computers, which help leverage data from different sources using a live […]

The post What is an API? appeared first on Global Fishing Watch.

]]> What is an API Access Token? https://globalfishingwatch.org/faqs/what-is-an-api-access-token/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:08:55 +0000 https://globalfishingwatch.org/?post_type=ht_kb&p=27178 The API (Application Programming Interface) access token is the mechanism the computer uses to give or reject access to the Global Fishing Watch (GFW) data. For example, Developers from organisation “A” has an API Access Token composed by number and letters, it looks something like this: “lrN4w3r5t6y7u8imeqwcH9ATN2US8IxxWhwKj87C7jYfJh2p9YU_D8JhVwtK4UAPS9LWFfnrXLCVIwo_QqZdKiwxoFwfJn2YEiO10JI4MRkDDuae0I38r1olbWofz6nEYLW-tOBNG1suOPhqe3IzNFf4CmjnSIvJVoB4HrVRFgpuVrt0xNSB6XYz46hMLyuFErVtiX96gwMDaRIveNC4dE” There are also other Developers from organisation B […]

The post What is an API Access Token? appeared first on Global Fishing Watch.

]]> How do I get access to Global Fishing Watch APIs? https://globalfishingwatch.org/faqs/most-of-our-apis-are-available-to-anyone-to-use-for-non-commercial/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:20:03 +0000 https://globalfishingwatch.org/?post_type=ht_kb&p=27180 Most of our APIs are available to anyone to use for non-commercial use via a simple self-registration process. Some APIs may require prior approval or are otherwise limited to certain users.  It is really simple to start using our APIs, go to Global Fishing Watch APIs and follow the 3 steps described there.  If you […]

The post How do I get access to Global Fishing Watch APIs? appeared first on Global Fishing Watch.

]]> Where can I find detailed technical documentation about Global Fishing Watch APIs? https://globalfishingwatch.org/faqs/where-can-i-find-detailed-technical-documentation-about-global-fishing-watch-apis/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:24:20 +0000 https://globalfishingwatch.org/?post_type=ht_kb&p=27182 You can find all technical documentation about our API and endpoints in the Global Fishing Watch APIs documentation site

The post Where can I find detailed technical documentation about Global Fishing Watch APIs? appeared first on Global Fishing Watch.

]]> Can I use Global Fishing Watch APIs for commercial purposes? https://globalfishingwatch.org/faqs/can-i-use-global-fishing-watch-apis-for-commercial-purposes/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:26:30 +0000 https://globalfishingwatch.org/?post_type=ht_kb&p=27184 GFW APIs are free to use for non-commercial purposes, including for academic research, for NGOs and generally for anything that is free and open and contributes to the public good. This also includes use by governments in free and open tools available to the public. For details see our terms of use. For commercial uses […]

The post Can I use Global Fishing Watch APIs for commercial purposes? appeared first on Global Fishing Watch.

]]> What VMS and AIS data can I get from Global Fishing Watch APIs? https://globalfishingwatch.org/faqs/what-vms-and-ais-data-can-i-get-from-global-fishing-watch-apis/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:31:56 +0000 https://globalfishingwatch.org/?post_type=ht_kb&p=27188 For now, we are only offering AIS data in our APIs, you can find the details of the datasets in Global Fishing Watch APIs documentation site. If you are interested in other datasets, please contact us at apis@globalfishingwatch.org

The post What VMS and AIS data can I get from Global Fishing Watch APIs? appeared first on Global Fishing Watch.

]]> When should I use an API? https://globalfishingwatch.org/faqs/when-should-i-use-an-api/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:34:30 +0000 https://globalfishingwatch.org/?post_type=ht_kb&p=27190 GFW API will be useful for you, if you looking for: Near real time data: up-to-date information with only 3 days of delay.  Better user experience for your users: you can ensure a smooth and integrated user experience with relevant and up-to-date data for your users. The data is delivered when available and not only […]

The post When should I use an API? appeared first on Global Fishing Watch.

]]>