Standardizing FAD definitions between RFMOs

For many years IPNLF has been advocating for the robust and standardized definitions required to enable the effective management of FADs. During the first meeting of the joint t-RFMO FAD Working Group in 2017, IPNLF submitted a paper emphasizing this while participants underlined the need to develop standardized language and definitions to support consistent interpretation of what conservation and management measures intend to achieve across ocean basins. During negotiations to ensure the sustainability of tuna fisheries using fish aggregating devices (FADs), much time has been dedicated to achieving an unambiguous definition for these devices and other terms relevant to their management across tRFMOs globally. The IOTC will not be able to effectively manage FADs if they cannot be clearly and explicitly defined, so we provide this paper to help streamline such discussions, to explain concerns with some in place FAD definitions globally, and to propose an effective definition for use by the IOTC.