By Atuna.com
The use of fish aggregating devices, or FADs, in purse seine tuna fisheries will be a major discussion topic at the upcoming annual Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting in December, according to Adam Baske, an international policy officer at the Pew Environment Group.
Frozen tuna is loaded onto a transshipment vessel
According to Baske, the FAD issue sparked a debate at the most recent WCFPC Technical and Compliance Committee meeting held earlier this month, but in the end no consensus for the future was reached.
The problem is that industrial fishing vessels are using FADs to target skipjack tuna, which is putting other tuna species at risk of overfishing. The destructive method not only catches juvenile yellowfin and bigeye tuna, but other marine life as well, including sharks, billfish and sea turtles.
“Scientists recommend limiting FAD use to 2010 levels, but the fisheries managers in the room did not all seem comfortable with that advice. Some governments pushed to shut down the fishery for several months, and some wanted to implement a system that will limit the number of FADs that a fleet can set. Others pushed to ban the use of FADs for up to six months,†writes Baske in a blog post on Pew’s website.
Baske describes how coastal fishermen in the Federated States of Micronesia, situated in the Pacific Ocean, are finding it difficult to catch even a single yellowfin tuna for local restaurants. Meanwhile, large purse seine fleets operating hundreds of miles offshore are catching thousands of tons of tuna for canneries in Thailand or the Philippines.
The annual WCPFC meeting is scheduled to take place Dec. 2-6 in Manila, Philippines. The regional fisheries management organization is a collection of more than 25 governments.
“Then, it is hoped, they [countries] will show up willing to make some tough decisions and actually manage the fishery. Nobody is saying that management is easy: It means limiting catches or FADs now for the long-term good of the ecosystem and the fishermen who depend on it,†writes Baske.
A sustainable alternative to FAD fishing does exist, and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), made up of eight Pacific island countries, are trying to get fishermen to target free swimming schools of skipjack instead. This is a greener option because there is very little by-catch.
In 2011, the PNA free school skipjack purse seine fishery was certified as sustainable against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard. Retailers are still waiting for the first shipments of certified product because PNA fishermen are unwilling to catch more responsibly.
