Researchers Work toward Bycatch Mitigation amongst an Active Crew of Fishermen… and amongst the Sharks
Bycatch Project cruises again in world’s most productive tuna fishing grounds
Christmas Island – 2 May 2014 – On the next go-around of the ISSF Bycatch Project, a veteran group of scientists and fishers will embark on a journey
through the Pacific in search of better fishing practices that will have them studying the behavior and aggregation of
fish, as well as observing the behavior of sharks and tunas inside an enclosed net. It’s all in an effort to identify
techniques for freeing non-target species from fishing nets. This is the sixth chapter of the ISSF Bycatch Project and
it takes place onboard the Albatun Tres, a working Spanish vessel from the Albacora company fleet.
Most of the world’s tuna catch is made by purse seine vessels, which use a net to encircle and catch tuna. The Bycatch
Project’s aim is to mitigate bycatch in the purse seine fishery, and is particularly focused on operations utilizing
floating objects, called FADs.
In fishing, one of the main impacts on biodiversity is bycatch, the occurrence of incidental catches of non-target
species made by commercial fishing vessels. Better-known examples of bycatch might include a boat unintentionally
encircling a shark and trapping the animal in its net. In the Western Pacific, rates of shark bycatch in purse seine
fisheries average between 0.9 tons per 1,000 tons of tuna caught for free-swimming schools (No FAD) and 1.1 tons per
1,000 tons of tuna caught for purse seine vessels fishing on FADs.
In order to identify new solutions, and build off of old ones, ISSF has led a series of research cruises since 2011.
ISSF puts independent researchers and scientists out at sea on operational fishing vessels with an actual fishing crew
in order to conduct research on potential strategies and techniques to reduce the occurrence of bycatch in real-world
conditions. Using knowledge gathered from past research on the behavior of fish, scientists are developing methods that
could help fishers avoid taking vulnerable species such as sharks
Information gathered during these cruises is not only incorporated into new protocols, proposed equipment modifications,
and best practices guides, it is also passed along to vessel owners and skippers during workshops being held by ISSF in
every tuna-fishing region of the world so that we can share the good lessons learned, from one side of the planet to the
other.
The Crew
“This will be my first cruise with ISSF and I look forward to building upon the knowledge gained at sea on previous
cruises and furthering along research to determine effective bycatch mitigation strategies with real-world utility. It’s
exciting for me to get to test new research practices at sea and see real time results.”
- Igor Sancristobal, Senior Research, Marine Research Division, Azti Tecnalia, and lead scientist aboard the Albatun
Tres
As with past bycatch cruises, scientists onboard will live amongst and work with the actual crew, while making sure to
keep disruptions to the vessel’s fishing operations at a minimum.
Scientists on board will be Fabien Forget and John Filmalter, PhD Students from Mauritius and South Africa respectively,
studying with the Institute of Research for the Development (IRD, France) and the South African Institute for Aquatic
Biodiversity (SAIAB, South Africa), who have both been working on bycatch in the tuna purse seine fishery for several
years. The lead scientist is Igor Sancristobal, a senior researcher at respected Spanish R firm Azti Tecnalia, who will oversee the cruise. Also from Azti Tecnalia, Guillermo Boyra, a senior researcher and
expert on acoustics, will join the other scientists.
Although being at sea for weeks on end presents its share of challenges, all four scientists have spent their entire
lives by the ocean; fishing, tagging, diving, snorkeling and eventually studying the oceans so they each have a very
special relationship with the water and a respect for the life below it.
“Albacora is thrilled to provide the Albatun Tres and support such an important science-based initiative. We are
committed to creating a more sustainable ocean environment and commend ISSF’s efforts in leading the charge.”
- Imanol Loinaz, Fleet Director, Albacora S.A.
The Science
The cruise will focus on three main points: the passive mitigation of bycatch; avoiding catch before setting; and
release from the net.
The passive mitigation of bycatch portion of the cruise involves estimating species and size composition of the fish
aggregation around FADs through the use of echo-sounder buoys. The objective is to inform fishers on the composition of
aggregations at FADs, e.g. target and non target species. Avoiding catch before setting will consist in using a high
quality scientific acoustic equipment, helping the scientists (and crew) determine the makeup of aggregation when the
vessel is at the FAD. The aim for the fishing crew is to determine if the aggregation does not have too many small
bigeye and yellowfin tunas before setting the net. .
The testing of an escape panel to remove sharks and other bycatch from the net once it is set will also be undertaken.
In addition, scientists will collect observational information on the behavior of the different species of tunas and
bycatch inside the net to enhance the design of the escape panel and aid in the development of additional practical
modifications to prevent bycatch being brought aboard.
Assessing the survival rate of large species such as whale sharks and manta rays that are sometimes caught in the net
will be the final focal area. Animals will be handled following previously identified best practices and fitted with
satellite tags to monitor their behavior and movements after they are released back into the Pacific. In this way
further improvements can be adopted where necessary to improve the chance of survival.
Part of a Bigger Conservation Strategy
“Initiatives that put scientists on the water working in a collaborative way with experienced fishers, in real-world
fishing conditions can advance our understanding of what works and what doesn’t. And, it can lead to new ideas to test
on future cruises. Results from these cruises are then presented to other scientists and are used as the foundation for
our skipper workshops across the globe.”
- Susan Jackson, President, ISSF
ISSF’s strategic plan focuses on fishery performance improvement through support of initiatives and science-based
approaches to help fisheries reach a point where they would be able to meet the standards for Marine Stewardship Council
(MSC) certification, without conditions. To get there, ISSF works to address core issues, like bycatch and FADs, which
will directly improve tuna fisheries. In addition to facilitating scientific exploration in the area of bycatch, ISSF
continues to reach out and share best practices with fishing fleets. Findings of the Bycatch Project inform best
practices workshops and guidebooks.
About the Bycatch Project
Since 2011, ISSF has sponsored a series of cruises for scientific researchers to work with fishers to find methods to
mitigate bycatch and better understand how fish behave around FADs. These globally coordinated cruises covered the
Indian and Pacific Oceans and lasted anywhere from 11 days to two and a half months. The research team has worked to
gain scientific inputs to initiate improvements within the tuna purse seine fishery to reduce the environmental impact
of fishing for tunas with FADs. ISSF then uses information gathered to host skipper workshops around the globe to pass
best practices onto the industry and present findings to scientific bodies advising Regional Fishery Management
Organizations, for inclusion in their management measures.
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.
About Azti Tecnalia
AZTI-Tecnalia, a Technological Centre specialized in Marine and Food Research, is a non-profit organization, whose
objective is the social development and the improvement of competitiveness in its area of influence by means of
technological Research and Innovation.
About Institute of Research for Development, France
IRD is a French public science and technology research institute under the joint authority of the French ministries in
charge of research and overseas development. Through three main missions (research, consultancy and training), the
Institute conducts scientific programs contributing to the sustainable development of Mediterranean and tropical
regions, with an emphasis on the relationship between man and the environment.
About South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, South Africa
Situated in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) is an
internationally recognized centre for the study of aquatic biodiversity.
As a National Facility of the NRF, SAIAB serves as a major scientific resource for knowledge and understanding the
biodiversity and functioning of globally significant aquatic ecosystems. By virtue of its unique position with regard to
both marine and freshwater biogeographical boundaries, southern Africa is ideally placed to monitor and document climate
change.
About Albacora
Albacora is a pioneering tuna company in Europe, equipped with the most advanced and fuel efficient tuna freezer fishing
boats in the world. Albacora operates a fleet of vessels in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. We fish for the
main species of tropical tuna such as Yellowfin (Thunnus Albacares) and Skipjack (Katsunomis Pelamis). Albacora’s tuna
business is one of the most controlled and transparent in the world and our fishing and processing techniques are
verified and overseen at every single step. We are a reliable partner for many companies engaged in the processing of
tropical tuna and deliver the highest possible quality.
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