Workshop for the reduction of the impact of Fish Aggregating Devices´structure on the ecosystem

This report summarizes the results of a workshop organized by ISSF to reduce the impact of FAD
structures on the ecosystem. The workshop gathered fishers and scientists working in the three
oceans where tuna is caught with FADs. The main goal of the workshop was to evaluate potential
solutions to minimize the impacts and identify the challenges to be faced, including the evaluation
of the starting point of the issue regarding the fate of lost and abandoned FADs. Participants in the
workshop evaluated, from a technical point of view, the potential of FAD retrieval, the use of FADs
that remain in the fishing zone (FADs with navigation capability, FADs that could be sunk, and
anchored FADs) and simplifying FAD structures, among others. Likewise, the feasibility of the
different measures was assessed in the short and long term.

Noted as IOTC-2021-WGFAD02-INF16