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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 2020-13: Compendium of ISSF Research Activities to Reduce FAD Structure Impacts on the Ecosystem

Date Added: April 30, 2020
Authors: Dr. Gala Moreno, Dr. Jefferson Murua, Ahmed Riyaz Jauharee, Iker Zudaire, Dr. Hilario Murua, Dr. Victor Restrepo
Downloaded: 569 times
Tags: Biodegradable FADs, Ecosystem, FADs, Purse Seine
Language: English
Featured: False
Report Type: Technical Report

Description

The present document summarizes the activities organized and conducted by ISSF with the support of the FAO GEF Common Oceans Tuna Project to reduce the impact of the structure of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) on the ecosystem.

ISSF’s research activities to reduce the impact caused by FAD structures and move towards the use of biodegradable FADs are:

  1. Workshops that gather fishers and scientists working in the three oceans to evaluate the potential solutions to minimize the impacts and identify the challenges to be faced
  2. Selection and testing of biodegradable materials in controlled conditions
  3. Pilot tests of experimental biodegradable FADs at sea
  4. Large-scale tests of biodegradable FADs in real fishing conditions

It also shows the results and recommendations derived from the research completed through December 2019.