Tip and Cue Case Study
Cross-Border Surveillance Exposes Illegal Fishing Threats in Uruguay's Waters
Uruguay faced mounting concern over suspected incursions by Brazilian tangoneros—industrial trawlers that may have been crossing into Uruguay’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to fish illegally. With limited visibility along the maritime border and vessels often disabling AIS, identifying violations in real time proved difficult.
Through a collaboration with the Uruguayan Navy and Mar Azul Uruguayo, Skylight set up a Tip and Cue rule using Speed Range Events. This rule was designed to detect vessels traveling at trawling speed just outside the Brazil-Uruguay border, particularly those recently turning off their AIS.
On cue, satellite imagery captured a tangonero that had just disabled its AIS and was heading directly toward Uruguay’s EEZ. The vessel’s trajectory and behavior matched previously observed illegal fishing patterns.
The detection gave partners in Uruguay valuable insight into suspicious activity along a difficult-to-monitor maritime border. It demonstrated the utility of proactive surveillance in identifying high-risk behavior and supported ongoing efforts to strengthen monitoring in the area.