Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the Med Sea Alliance website, (“Site”), hosted by Global Fishing Watch (“Site”). Global Fishing Watch respects your privacy rights and recognizes the importance of protecting the information we collect about you. This policy statement tells you how we collect information from you and how we use it.

Personal Information Defined. Global Fishing Watch considers “Personal Information” to include information that alone or when in combination with other information may be used to readily identify, contact or locate you, such as: name, address, email address or telephone number. Global Fishing Watch does not consider Personal Information to include information that has been anonymized so that it does not allow a third party to easily identify a specific individual.

In visiting the Site, you have voluntarily established a business relationship with Global Fishing Watch. As part of your use of the Site, Global Fishing Watch will only collect further Personal Information from you when you voluntarily:

  • submit feedback and comments;
  • complete surveys;
  • sign up for our newsletter;
  • download data; or
  • upload content to the Site.

When you submit Personal Information under these circumstances, you will receive a confirmation email that will give you the option of choosing not to receive further emails from us.

When you use the Site, Global Fishing Watch may collect some or all of the following Personal Information from You: Your name, email address, language, country of residence, postal address, and organization.

Global Fishing Watch may also collect demographic information from Site visitors, such as geographic location or what platforms you own. This information helps us to improve our online offerings and allows us to tailor information to your preferences.

Usage Tracking

We track website usage data to improve our website. We collect user traffic patterns throughout our website using web logs, cookies and similar technologies. This information is collected to help improve website flow and usability. In addition, when we send emails to our members and supporters, we track information on clicks-through to our website, including IP addresses. This is done to gauge the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns and to discourage fraudulent use.

Cookies

We may place a text file called a “cookie” in the browser files of your computer. The cookie itself does not contain Personal Information, although it will enable us to relate your use of this website to information that you have specifically and knowingly provided. But the only Personal Information a cookie can contain is information you supply yourself. A cookie cannot read data off your hard disk or read cookie files created by other websites. Global Fishing Watch may use cookies to track user traffic patterns (as described above). In addition, Global Fishing Watch uses encrypted cookies to authenticate the user on each page after the user logs onto the website. You can refuse cookies by turning them off in your browser. If you have set your browser to warn you before accepting cookies, you will receive the warning message with each cookie. Some Global Fishing Watch website features and services may not function properly if your cookies are disabled.

Children

This website is not intended for children under 13 years of age and Global Fishing Watch does not knowingly collect, maintain or use any Personal Information from children under 13 years of age. If we become aware that we have collected any Personal Information from children under 13, we will promptly delete such information from our databases. If you are a parent or guardian of such a child and discover that your child has provided Personal Information to us, please contact us as described in this Privacy Policy and we will take reasonable steps immediately to remove any such information 

User Access – Accessing and Controlling your Personal Information

Under laws in certain countries in which we operate, visitors to the Site from those countries have a right to access Personal Information about themselves, and to correct and/or delete Personal Information that is inaccurate, incomplete or outdated, restrict processing of Personal Information, or port Personal Information to another entity. We will, upon request, provide you with confirmation regarding whether we are processing Personal Information about you, consistent with applicable law. In addition, upon your request, we will take reasonable steps to correct and/or delete your Personal Information that is found to be inaccurate, incomplete or processed in a manner non-compliant with this Privacy Policy or applicable law, restrict, or port your Personal Information, except where the burden or expense of providing access would be disproportionate to the risks to your privacy, where the rights of persons other than you would be violated or where doing so is otherwise consistent with applicable law. Unless prohibited by applicable law, we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee to cover costs for providing copies of Personal Information that you request.

Please note that while any deletions will be reflected in active user databases (as updated within a reasonable period of time), we may retain all Personal Information for backups, archiving, prevention of fraud and abuse, analytics, and satisfaction of other legal obligations we reasonably believe applicable.

You authorize us to use and disclose to third parties any new or modified information that you provide in accordance with this Privacy Policy, and you agree that we are under no obligation to delete or modify information that you have previously provided us as to which you have not instructed us to take such action. Please remember, however, that if we have already properly disclosed some of your Personal Information to third parties (other than authorized subprocessors), we cannot access that Personal Information any longer and cannot force the deletion, restriction or modification of any such information by the parties to whom we have properly made those disclosures.

We may retain your Personal Information to comply with laws, prevent fraud, resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, assist with any investigations, enforce our contracts, and take other actions otherwise permitted by law.

If you would like to review the information in our files, correct it, withdraw it, or ask Global Fishing Watch to refrain from sending you information in the future or otherwise exercise any of the other rights referred to above relating to your Personal Information, please contact us by e-mail at info@globalfishingwatch.org, by calling +1 202.800.2928, or by writing to the postal address listed below.

Data Transfer and Sharing

Global Fishing Watch does not rent, sell or share Personal Information collected on this website with third parties except as follows. Global Fishing Watch may provide Personal Information to or permit access to Personal Information by vendors and service providers who are contracted to help us administer this website. These service providers may process Personal Information on our behalf or use Personal Information to assist Global Fishing Watch in administering this website. We may also disclose user information in special cases when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference with (either intentionally or unintentionally) Global Fishing Watch’s rights or property, other Global Fishing Watch users or anyone else who could be harmed by such activities.

Transfer in Connection with Reorganization or other Corporate Events of Global Fishing Watch

If Global Fishing Watch should ever file for bankruptcy or have its assets sold to or merged with another entity, information Global Fishing Watch receives from you shall be treated as a Global Fishing Watch asset and may be transferred as part of any such transactions.

Affiliated Websites, other Websites and Advertisements

This Privacy Policy applies to websites and services that are owned and operated by Global Fishing Watch. We do not exercise control over the websites of third parties that you may link to or view as part of a frame on a page on this website. These other sites may place their own cookies or other files on your computer, collect data, or solicit Personal Information from you. We are not responsible for the actions or policies of such third parties. You should check the applicable privacy policies of those third parties when providing information on a feature or page operated by a third party.

International Visitors and Customers

By choosing to visit the website or otherwise provide information to Global Fishing Watch, you agree that any dispute over privacy or the terms contained in this Privacy Policy will be governed by the law of the District of Columbia. This website is hosted in the United States. If you are visiting from regions with laws governing data collection and use that may differ from U.S. law please note that you are transferring your personal data to the United States, a country which may not have the same data protection laws as other countries, and by providing your personal data you consent to: the use of your personal data for the uses identified above in accordance with this Privacy Policy; and the transfer of your personal data to the United States as indicated above.

With respect to visitors from the European Union (EU), the following applies at the time of any data collection:

  • We collect data from our users for a variety of reasons, including to:
    • Allow access to certain data, enabling uploading of content to the Site and sending content that may be of interest, such as email newsletters about new data and features;
    • Send emails with news and updates about Global Fishing Watch;
    • Monitor website traffic and improve the user experience;
    • Personalize content and identify authors who post in the Global Fishing Watch community;
    • Process donations to Global Fishing Watch;
    • Respond to user support inquiries.
  • We only collect data from or contact users who have provided their informed consent. Users have the right to withdraw consent anytime by updating their user preferences or sending an email to info@globalfishingwatch.org.
  • Global Fishing Watch shares certain user data under contract with certain 3rd party service providers for the sole purpose of facilitating Global Fishing Watch’s permitted uses of the data, such as DonorboxStripePaypalGoogle Analytics, etc., subject to their privacy policies. Except in cases of users requesting that we delete their user data, we will periodically review user subscription preferences, email open rates, website visits or other interactions with Global Fishing Watch to determine when to delete user data of inactive users.
  • Users have the right to request access to and request correction or deletion of their personal data upon request by sending an email to info@globalfishingwatch.org.
  • Users have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervising authority of their respective country or other jurisdiction.
  • Provision of user data is not a contractual requirement of using Global Fishing Watch, or a requirement necessary to enter into a contract with Global Fishing Watch. Users are not obliged to provide user data and the only potential consequences of not doing so may be to forgo the opportunity to access certain Global Fishing Watch data, other content or features.

Security

We take steps to ensure that your information is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. No data transmissions over the Internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Consequently, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your transmission, we make reasonable efforts to ensure security on our systems. If Global Fishing Watch learns of a security systems breach we may attempt to notify you electronically so that you can take appropriate protective steps. By using this Site or providing Personal Information to us you agree that we can communicate with you electronically regarding security, privacy and administrative issues relating to your use of this website. Global Fishing Watch may post a notice on our website if a security breach occurs. Global Fishing Watch may also send an email to you at the email address you have provided to us in these circumstances. Depending on where you live, you may have a legal right to receive notice of a security breach in writing. To receive free written notice of a security breach (or to withdraw your consent from receiving electronic notice) you should notify us at info@globalfishingwatch.org.

Changes and Updates

We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy. When we do, we will also revise the “effective date” on the Privacy Policy. For changes to this Privacy Policy that may be materially less restrictive on our use or disclosure of Personal Information you have provided to us, we will attempt to obtain your consent before implementing the change. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed about how we are protecting the Personal Information we collect. Your continued use of this website constitutes your agreement to this Privacy Policy and any updates.

Contacting Global Fishing Watch

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about Global Fishing Watch or this Privacy Policy, please email us at info@globalfishingwatch.org. In the event that we are still unable to resolve your concerns, Global Fishing Watch is committed to cooperating to achieve a proper resolution of your privacy concerns.

Global Fishing Watch, Inc. is a Delaware 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation located at:

1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 200,Washington, DC 20036, United States of America, +1 202.800.2928, info@globalfishingwatch.org and info@medseaalliance.org

Your Acceptance of these Terms

By using this site, you signify your assent to this Privacy Policy. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of changes to these terms will mean you accept those changes.