The First International Workshop on the Recovery of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs, known locally in the eastern Pacific Ocean as “plantados”) was held May 8–10, 2024, at the Charles Darwin Foundation facilities in Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador. The workshop was organized by the Tuna Conservation Group (TUNACONS), the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), and WWF Ecuador. The objective of the workshop was to address the following question: How should a FAD Recovery Program (FRP) be designed to ensure its efficiency?
A total of 63 key stakeholders participated in the workshop, including fishers, vessel owners, manufacturers and satellite buoy service providers, fishing associations, governments, scientists, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. Participants shared their knowledge and experience working with FADs as well as insights into the design of FRPs. The workshop addressed the logistical, technical, and economic aspects necessary to ensure the efficiency of such programs. Finally, participants identified the steps required to design and implement a FAD recovery program, both within the Galápagos Marine Reserve and in other parts of the world.
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