Best standards for data collection and reporting requirements on FOBs: towards a science-based FOB fishery management

A major concern for tropical tunas, is the worldwide increasing use of drifting floating objects or FOBs by purse seiners. The main concerns over FOB-related fishing are common for the different t-RFMOs as is the reduction in yield per recruit of some target species (i.e. yellowfin and bigeye tuna), the increased by-catch, generation of marine debris and impacts on coastal habitats as a result of beaching events, and alteration of the behavior of the species associated with FOBs. Despite the increasing FOB use and related potential impacts, little information is available on FOB use worldwide for an appropriate monitoring and management. Thus, FOB monitoring has become a priority in all tuna t-RFMOs. However, the data collection and reporting requirements around FOBs are not standardized and there are significant data gaps. Aiming to improve data quality, this work reviews current requirements and proposes standards for data collection and submission on FOBs to t-RFMOs. The proposals included in this document are the result of a collaborative work between scientists and the fishing industry.