Pasaia, Spain-headquartered marine technology firm AZTI has announced new onboard technologies which will help the tuna industry safely and efficiently release sharks and rays that are accidentally caught in tropical tuna purse-seine fishing.
AZTI researcher Jefferson Murua, who is the lead author of a study on the new tools, said that in these cases, “a quick release is essential to give these species a real chance of survival.”
“But, handling large sharks or mobulid rays can be tricky and dangerous. That’s why we’ve worked closely with fishers throughout – from design to sea trials – to develop solutions that are both practical and safe,” he said.
The technologies, developed with Spanish tuna industry groups OPAGAC, the Association of Large Frozen Tuna Producers, and the Spanish National Association of Freezer Tuna Vessel Owners, are known as bycatch release devices (BRDs). They include release ramps, stretchers, Velcro leashes, hoppers, lower-deck chutes, and sorting grids for rays. All of the tools are designed to allow crew members to release animals quickly and with minimal human contact, reducing risk to both fishers and the animals.
The Spanish freezer tuna fleet worked collaboratively with AZTI to develop the tools in ways that would be practical for onboard use. In a release about the work, AZTI said that the industry buy-in was essential for the success of the project and that some of the tools are already being used on working vessels.
"The new BRDs are a natural next step in the [Spanish tuna] fleet’s sustainability journey," Murua said. "They are practical tools that make it easier to stick to the high standards the fleet has already committed to.”
