Go to ...
  • Who We Are
    • About
      • Our Team
      • 10th Anniversary
        • Decade of Discovery Timeline
      • Strategic Plan
      • Annual Report
    • Governance
      • Strategic Plan
      • Board of Directors
      • Bylaws
    • Participating Companies
    • Committees
    • Donate
    • Join ISSA
    • Contact
  • What We Do
    • Areas of Focus
      • Tuna Conservation
      • Bycatch
        • Skippers Workshops
          • Workshop Topics
          • Workshop Options
          • Skippers Resources and Certification
        • FADs
        • Sharks
        • Turtles
      • Illegal Fishing
      • Capacity Management
    • Science
      • Misson & Approach
      • Scientific Advisory Committee
      • Status of the Stocks
        • Interactive Stock Status Tool
    • Influence
      • Mission & Approach
      • Position Statements
      • Joint Advocacy
      • RFMO Best Practices Snapshots
      • NGO Tuna Forum Best Practices Guides
    • Verification
      • Conservation Measures & Commitments
      • Data Check Companies
      • Compliance Report
      • Participating Company Audit Reports
      • Audit Process
      • ProActive Vessel Register
      • Report a Compliance Issue
    • Fisheries Improvement
      • Fishery Improvement Projects
      • Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fishery Certification
        • MSC-Certified Tuna Fisheries
      • Tuna FIPs
      • ISSF FIP Resources
      • FIP Resources Finder
      • FIPs FAQs
      • FIP Support Form
  • About Tuna
    • Status of the Stocks
      • Interactive Stock Status Tool
    • Species
    • Fishing Methods
    • Management (RFMOs)
      • RFMO Best Practices Snapshots
  • Knowledge & Tools
    • Technical and Meeting Reports
    • Publications & Presentations
      • Strategic Plan
      • Annual Report
      • Compliance Report
      • Infographics
    • Skippers Workshops
      • Workshop Topics
      • Workshop Options
      • Skippers Resources and Certification
    • Guides & Best Practices
      • Non-Entangling FADs
      • Skippers & Observer Guidebooks
        • Pole-and-Line Skippers Guidebook
      • RFMO Best Practices Snapshots
      • NGO Tuna Forum Best Practices Guides
    • Public Vessel Lists
      • ProActive Vessel Register (PVR)
      • Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI)
      • Record of Large-Scale Purse Seine Vessels
      • Tuna Vessel IMOs and Other UVI Numbers
    • Interactive Stock Status Tool
    • FIP Resources Finder
    • Decade of Discovery Timeline
    • ISSF Glossary
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • News
    • Press Releases
    • Position Statements
    • eNews Newsletter
    • Blog
    • 10th Anniversary
Promoting Fisher Gear That Can Better Protect the World’s Largest Tuna Fishing Region
  • Home
  • News
  • Blog
  • Promoting Fisher Gear That Can Better Protect the World’s Largest Tuna Fishing Region

ISSF’s new Guide to Non-entangling and Biodegradable FADs supports the conservation work of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
By: Claire van der Geest, Holly Koehler
Date: September 24, 2019

ISSF’s new Guide to Non-entangling and Biodegradable FADs equips the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) with scientific research to back stronger sustainability measures for FAD fishers in its region.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) oversees the long-term conservation of highly migratory fish stocks, including tunas, in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Four subsidiary bodies support the Commission’s work and meet in the months prior to the December WCPFC annual meeting. One such group meets this week: the Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC), WCPFC’s “enforcement” committee.

The TCC reviews member states’ adherence to Commission decisions and monitors individual countries’ implementation of WCPFC conservation measures. The TCC also makes recommendations to encourage, improve and enforce members’ compliance with Commission decisions. Finally, the TCC coordinates with the WCPFC Scientific Committee to ensure consistent advice is provided.

Given the TCC’s crucial role at WCPFC — managers of the world’s largest tuna fishing grounds — ISSF has long participated in TCC meetings. As we prepare for the TCC gathering this week in Pohnpei, we are taking this opportunity to urge progress on the adoption and implementation of fish aggregating devices (FADs) that are both non-entangling and biodegradable.

The Path Toward a More Sustainable FAD

Since our founding in 2009, ISSF has researched how to reduce FADs’ impacts on marine ecosystems. And since 2015, we have partnered with scientists, fleets, RFMOs and the FAO to find the best non-entangling designs and vegetal, biodegradable materials for FADs.

These research projects have spurred large-scale deployments of more than 2,000 biodegradable FADs in the Indian and Eastern Pacific Oceans to test different materials and constructions. The culmination of this ongoing effort is the new ISSF Guide to Non-entangling and Biodegradable FADs, which documents — for the first time — detailed guidance on constructing biodegradable FAD rafts and tails.

ISSF and its partners are optimistic that the collaborative research recommendations in the guide will catalyze fisheries managers to step up efforts in addressing critical challenges. 

Workshops in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

ISSF is pleased that last year WCPFC adopted measures requiring fleets to begin using lower-entangling FADs in January 2020. It’s also positive that the Commission has agreed to consider adopting measures for fully non-entangling FADs and/or biodegradable materials in FADs next year.

To support this important progress, ISSF — in collaboration with the U.N. FAO-GEF-funded Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project — hosted four biodegradable FAD workshops in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) in 2019: in Papua New Guinea, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Philippines and the Marshall Islands.

After the workshops, a pilot project to test 100 biodegradable FADs with the Carolina Fishing Company fleet based in FSM was launched. Our partner scientists used lessons from the workshops and pilot project to plan a potential WCPO-wide biodegradable FAD research project that considers the regional characteristics of FADs and fleet behaviors.

Arming the Committee and the Commission for Science-Based Success

The WCPFC, interested fleets and members, the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) have already shown strong leadership for improving FAD management and fisheries conservation in the WCPO.

It’s clear that they understand just how crucial these efforts are in protecting their region’s critical natural resource: They appreciate that non-entangling and biodegradable FADs can help reduce pollution entering the marine environment from fishing and help minimize entanglement of species like oceanic whitetip sharks. This week, the TCC has the opportunity to lend strong support to the WCFPC continuing on the path toward mandatory use of these improved FADs. 

As we participate in this week’s TCC meeting and look to the Commission meeting and beyond, we urge member nations and seafood companies to embrace the latest science-based tools and resources that ISSF and our partners have to offer.

Through the ISSF Guide to Non-entangling and Biodegradable FADs, in-region workshops, pilot projects, and more, we are eager to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new ones to ensure the success of fully non-entangling and biodegradable FADs in the WCPO.

« ISSF Releases New Non-Entangling and Biodegradable FADs Guide for Fishers, RFMOs, Governments and Vessel Owners
81% of Global Tuna Catch Comes from Stocks at Healthy Levels, While 15% Require Stronger Management »
  • NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
    Thanks for signing up!

  • RECENT NEWS

    • 21 January 2021 E News 1.20.2021 Featured Content   ISSF… ... MORE
    • ISSF Statement in Response 12.22.2020 The action by IATTC at its emergency Commission meeting… ... MORE
    • Tuna Fisheries Management in 12.17.2020 Dec. 22, 2020: See an update about IATTC’s… ... MORE
  • A Decade of Discovery

    Explore a timeline of ISSF contributions to sustainable fishing

  • Translate

  • Contact
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Filings
©2021 All Rights Reserved. International Seafood Sustainability Foundation
VESSEL LISTS