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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.

ISSF 2009-02: Bycatch in the World’s Tuna Fisheries: Measured Data, Programs and Progress Proposal. Jun 2009

Date Added: August 7, 2016
Authors: ISSF
Downloaded: 562 times
Tags: Bycatch, Bycatch Mitigation
Language: English
Report Type: Technical Report

Description

Bycatch — the unintended taking of juvenile tuna, non-targeted fish, and other animals — and discards of unsuitable catch occur in nearly all of the world’s many commercial fisheries. In some they are large enough to affect the fishery, while in others they are insignificant biologically and economically. Either way, bycatch and discards represent waste of natural resources, even for species whose commercial value may be nil and whose role in the ecosystem may be as yet undefined.