Project Kraken - 2026

Project Kraken relaunches to tackle maritime crime

Border Force and Crimestoppers have relaunched Project Kraken with a renewed anonymous reporting line — and for the marine community, awareness now matters as much as technology.

It's good to see more attention finally being given to maritime crime. Border Force have relaunched Project Kraken, with a renewed focus on suspicious activity around harbours, marinas and the wider coastline. Alongside the relaunch, they've partnered with Crimestoppers to power the UK Border Watch — a 100% anonymous reporting line on 0800 011 3304 — making it easier for people to report concerns directly.

For those of us in the marine world, this is an important step.

A quiet harbour can become a crime scene

Having had a boat stolen from its mooring, I know how quickly a quiet harbour can become a crime scene. That experience is exactly why SeaSight exists.

Boat theft and theft from marinas are happening far more than many people realise. There's still a long-standing attitude that "nobody steals boats", but that simply isn't true anymore. Boats are often left unattended for long periods; many aren't immobilised, and expensive electronics, outboards and equipment are regularly left on board.

Many thefts also occur quietly and opportunistically. Someone approaches from the water at night with no lights, no noise, and by the time anybody notices, the boat or equipment is already gone. Even marinas with gates and CCTV aren't immune if someone approaches from the water side unnoticed.

What Project Kraken is asking for

But alongside technology, awareness still plays a huge role.

Project Kraken is encouraging people working in and around marinas, harbours and coastal areas to report suspicious activity — whether that's unusual movement around pontoons, suspicious trailer activity near slipways, unidentified vessels operating at unusual hours, or people accessing boats who clearly shouldn't be there.

The more eyes and ears there are across the marine community, the harder it becomes for criminals to operate unnoticed.

Awareness and technology, together

At SeaSight, we believe marine security needs to become much more proactive. Better awareness, layered protection, real-time alerts and quicker reporting all help reduce risk and protect boats properly.

Most importantly, it's good to see Border Force, Crimestoppers and harbour authorities continuing to push this issue higher up the agenda. Raising awareness is absolutely the right thing to do for boat owners, marina operators and the wider marine industry alike.

A personal thank you

A personal thank you to the local Border Force RIB team in Falmouth, covering St Mawes. The support, concern and engagement you showed at such a stressful time was very much appreciated. Thank you.