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 2022-12: Survey of the Treatment of Support/Supply/Tender Vessels in Tuna RFMOs*

Date Added: May 19, 2022
Authors: Holly Koehler, Dr. Gala Moreno
Downloaded: 95 times
Tags: Best Practices, CCSBT, FADs, IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC, RFMOs, Supply Vessel, WCPFC
Language: English
Featured: True
Report Type: Technical Report

Description

The use of man-made floating objects, also known as drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs), by purse-seine vessels has increased in all oceans. In addition, purse-seine vessels often utilize other vessels – called supply, support, auxiliary or tender vessels – to deploy dFADs and service them.  The use of such vessels and recent technological advances have made purse-seine fishing with dFADs increasingly efficient and has contributed to effort creep.

At present, three of the four tropical tuna RFMOs allow the use of these vessels in the tuna purse-seine fishery. The degree to which the use of support vessels is regulated, monitored, or to which data are collected on these vessels’ activities, including the deployment of FADs, varies. This technical report surveys how support vessels are currently treated in tuna RFMOs and identifies a set of best practice recommendations.

See also our RFMO Best Practices Snapshot on treatment of support/supply/tender vessels.