Fisheries trade body Europêche has welcomed the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas’ (ICCAT) recent decision to reduce a moratorium on fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the Atlantic Ocean.
ICCAT implemented a moratorium on FADs in 2019 that introduced closure periods for the use of the devices. FADs are frequently used in the Atlantic's bigeye tuna fishery and consist of floating objects that fishing vessels place in areas to attract fish.
The moratorium was in part in response to a report that the regional fishery management organization (RFMO) issued in 2018 that declared Atlantic bigeye tuna as overfished. The FAD requirements were part of its push to reduce fishing effort on the species and to start rebuilding its stock.
The devices have been a big topic in RFMOs, with NGOs pushing for stricter requirements on their use – advocating for requirements on marking schemes, ownership rules, and the use of biodegradable materials.
The rules ICCAT adopted in 2019 reduced the allowed number of FADs from ...
