Purse Seine Guidebook
- Table of Contents
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Introduction
- Avoid Bycatch
- Minimize the Risk of Capture
- Reduce Bycatch Mortality
- Offset Unavoidable Bycatch Mortality
- 1. Sharks and Rays
- Sharks and Rays Commonly Encountered
- Reducing Shark and Ray Bycatch
- Target Large Schools
- Attract Sharks Out of the Net
- Fish Sharks in the Net to Release Them
- Modify Fishing Gear
- On Deck Safe Handling and Releasing Techniques
- Manual Handling Do’s
- Handling Medium Sharks
- Handling Stingrays
- Handling and Release with Bycatch Release Devices
- Light Equipment
- Shark Release Ramps with Hopper
- Mobulid Sorting Grids (with Vessel’s Crane)
- Releasing Whale Sharks
- Shark Handling and Release Do’s
- Shark Handling and Release Don’ts
- End Wasteful Shark Finning
- 2. Sea Turtles
- Most Common Bycaught Sea Turtle Species
- 3. Selective Tuna Fishing: Reducing Catch of Small Bigeye & Yellowfin Tuna
- Species Identification
- Yellowfin (30-45 cm)
- Bigeye (30-45cm)
- Yellowfin (46-110cm)
- Bigeye (46-110 cm)
- Yellowfin (>110 cm)
- Bigeye (>110 cm)
- Fisher Cooperation and Input
- Chapter 4
- Introduction
- International Organizations and Instruments
- Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
- Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
- International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
- Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
- Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna
- Further Notes on Data Reporting and Compliance
- Conclusion
- Credits and Citations
FADs
Chapter Objectives
- Outline the major issues with FAD fishing.
- Provide guidance on best practices for FAD management, including FAD design and use, to mitigate those impacts
Introduction
FADs are a widely used fishing strategy due to their high efficiency for catching tuna. About 38% of the global tuna catch, which totaled 5.2 million tonnes in 2023, is made with FADs. In recent years, in most regions, fleets have increasingly adopted the use of FADs, shifting their fishing strategies to FADs accordingly.
But with this growth in FAD use comes new concerns — both real and perceived — particularly regarding sharks, juvenile tunas, and other bycatch. In addition, a FAD structure has impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems due to strandings, ghost fishing, and marine debris and pollution.
Scientists, together with fishers and managers, have begun addressing these issues by modifying FAD designs, researching how to enhance species selectivity, strengthening data collection and monitoring efforts, and advocating the adoption of management measures at RFMO level.