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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 2018-03: Efficiency of Electronic Monitoring on FAD-Related Activities by Supply Vessels in the Indian Ocean

Date Added: February 22, 2018
Authors: G. Legorburu, X. Lekube, I. Canive, J. G. Ferré, H. Delgado, Dr. Gala Moreno, Dr. Victor Restrepo
Downloaded: 672 times
Tags: Electronic Monitoring & Reporting, FADs, Purse Seine
Language: English
Report Type: Technical Report

Description

Electronic Monitoring (EM) has been shown as an effective monitoring tool for fisheries management. This study tests the potential use of EM to monitor Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) used by supply vessels in a tropical tuna purse seine fishing fleet.

The study was conducted on 5 supply vessels operating in the Indian Ocean equipped with EM systems during eight trips accounting for 371 days at sea. The resulting footage was analysed by observers on land. FAD-related activities recorded by the EM were compared to those recorded in the vessels’ logbooks.

The results show a high level of coincidence between both methods. The observed capability of EM in detecting and describing FAD components and activities suggests that it can become a key method for collecting FAD data onboard supply vessels in support of fisheries management