Skip to main content

Non-Entangling & Biodegradable FADs Guide

ISSF’s Non-Entangling & Biodegradable FADs guide for tuna fishers, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), governments, and vessel owners shows research-based best practices in Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) design — both to avoid bycatch and reduce marine pollution.

Four tuna RFMOs already require fleets in their regions that fish with FADs to use only non-entangling designs. Some RFMOs additionally encourage fleets to build those FADs with biodegradable materials. The guide, first published in 2012 and revised in 2019 to include the biodegradable recommendation, is available in several languages.

BioFADs: New Trials and Large-Scale Deployment

Date Added: April 20, 2021
Downloaded: 471 times
Tags: Biodegradable FADs, FADs, ISSF, Pole and Line, Purse Seine, science
Language: English
Featured: False
Report Type: Final

Description

ISSF sponsors at-sea research to find the best non-entangling designs and natural materials for fish aggregating devices (FADs) that can biodegrade.

This map — updated in March 2021 — shows where new trials and deployments of biodegradable FADs are taking place around the world. It also indicates the tuna fishing gear types, fleets, and dates for each project, corresponding to an ISSF research compendium report.