International seafood sustainability foundation initiatives to develop and test bycatch mitigation options for tropical purse seine fisheries

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has initiated a research program to develop and test technical options to reduce bycatch resulting from industrial tuna fisheries. The initial emphasis will address ways to reduce the incidental mortality of bigeye tuna of undesirable size, oceanic sharks and marine turtles in tropical purse seine fisheries. The ISSF will implement field studies through the full charter of a dedicated purse seine vessel or vessels operating in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans over a 24 month schedule, spread over 3 years. Overall project guidance will be provided by the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee. A Purse Seine Research Vessel Steering Committee is developing the specific projects to be conducted while considering practical input from skippers and industry representatives gained from regional workshops convened by the ISSF. The first research cruise will be in the eastern Pacific Ocean early in 2011.