Google has taken the battle against illegal fishing online, with the company unveiling a tool in Australia on Friday that harnesses satellite data to track thousands of boats in real time.

The prototype interactive tool was developed in conjunction with environmental activists SkyTruth and the marine advocacy group Oceana. It was launched at the once-a-decade World Parks Congress in Sydney.

The tool is the latest salvo from environmentalists against illegal fishing, estimated by the Global Ocean Commission to cost the world economy up to $23.5 billion a year.