SDKs
Official Global Fishing Watch API v3 client libraries for Python and R, and guidance on which one to use.
We currently support two SDKs for easy access to Global Fishing Watch API v3 — one for Python users and one for R users. Both map directly to API version 3, the standard since April 30, 2024.
- Python —
gfw-api-python-client— Direct access to API v3 from Python, built for Jupyter notebooks and data scripts. Works withpandas,geopandas, andJupyter. - R —
gfwr— Access API v3 from R, returning results as tibbles for analysis with the tidyverse.
Which should I use?
Pick the SDK that matches your workflow — Python or R. Both cover the core APIs (Vessels identity, Events, Vessel Insights, apparent Fishing Effort / 4Wings, and SAR vessel detections). Some endpoints designed primarily for frontend applications are not implemented in the SDKs; for those, call the REST API directly with cURL or your HTTP client of choice.
For a detailed comparison of what data is available through the API Portal, gfwr, gfw-api-python-client, and the Data Downloads portal, see the products differences PDF.
Analyzing a Fleet (a Group of Vessels)
Combine the 4Wings, Vessels and Events APIs to analyze a fleet of vessels across fishing effort, identity and event history.
Python — gfw-api-python-client
gfw-api-python-client gives Python users direct access to API v3, built for Jupyter notebooks and data scripts alongside pandas and geopandas.