Indian Ocean Fishing: Non-Entangling FAD Design

ISSF Urges Indian Ocean Fishing Nations to Adopt Non-Entangling FAD Design

29 April 2013 - In advance of next week's Regular Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is drawing attention to the need to protect tuna populations from overfishing; along with opportunities for progress on developing harvest control rules and mandating the use of non-entangling fishing gear designs to reduce shark mortality in the region.

Fish aggregating devices (FADs) are often built with old netting underneath a raft, which can cause an entanglement hazard for sharks and other animals. To curb this problem, ISSF has supported the scientific development and testing of improved FAD designs, which have shown to practically eliminate entanglement. The IOTC Scientific Committee has recommended member states mandate the use of non-entangling designs for vessels fishing with FADs in the region.

"A transition from commonly used FAD varieties to newly developed non-entangling designs can be made almost immediately, at minimal expense to vessel owners, and would return just as immediate results for the region when it comes to protecting non-target species like sharks," said ISSF president Susan Jackson.

Jackson noted that ISSF is also pushing for overall improvements to FAD management in the Indian Ocean in order to better monitor FAD usage and to establish a sound basis for management. Current FAD data reporting requirements in the region are ambiguous, not comprehensive and need to be clarified.

There is also a need to protect the region's stock of albacore tuna. According to the IOTC Scientific Committee, albacore is experiencing overfishing, and if current catch rates continue, the stock will eventually become overfished. In its statement to IOTC members ISSF calls for the adoption of measures to eliminate overfishing of albacore, such as reducing catches by at least 20 percent. In addition, all tuna stocks in the region are in need of predetermined management measures to prevent stocks from being overfished and while ISSF was pleased with the IOTC's adoption of a non-binding recommendation last year, ISSF encourages the Commission to adopt binding reference points in order to evaluate potential harvest control rules.

Other policy positions supported by ISSF include the adoption of 100 percent observer coverage for all purse seine fishing vessels, freezing catches from gillnets until more is known about the method's impact and improved protections for Indian Ocean shark populations, including a ban on the at-sea removal of fins.

To access the full position statement click here.

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)
The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is a global coalition of scientists, the tuna industry and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world's leading conservation organization, promoting science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health. To learn more, visit their website at iss-foundation.org.

ENDS

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