EU joins Indian Ocean groups in drive to minimize impact of FADs

Correction: The original version of this story had a headline stating the E.U. joined South Pacific groups. The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) and Sustainable Indian Ocean Tuna Initiative (SIOTI) are both based in the Indian Ocean, not the South Pacific. 

The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), Sustainable Indian Ocean Tuna Initiative (SIOTI), and the Spanish Association of Tuna Freezers (AGAC) have joined forced to launch a new project that aims to reduce the impacts of drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs). 

The new initiative, the FAD Watch Project, aims to reduce the impacts of dFADs on coral reefs, shallow water habitats, and coastal zones, Europêche said in a press release. All European tuna purse seiners are parts of the new initiative, either through participation in AGAC, or through membership in the local groups.

According to Europêche, both ANABAC, the Spanish National Association of Freezer Tuna Vessel Owners,  and ORTHONGEL, the Organisation Des Producteurs de Thon Congelé et Surgelé, which represents French tuna fishers, are members of SIOTI. Another Spanish group, OPAGAC – the Organización Productores Asociados Grandes Atuneros Congeladores, is a member of AGAC.

The new watch project will see the European tuna fleet’s vessels provide the SFA with their dFAD satellite tracking data and online software, information which will help authorities pinpoint the locations of the devices that are entering the perimeters of islands in the Southwest Pacific. By identifying their presence, they can be recovered before they affect marine ecosystems, Europêche said.

The new agreement also includes deploying the Saya de Malha, a new vessel in the Seychelles Coast Guard. INEPESCA Fishing Belize LTD, a fishing company based in Portugal, donated the vessel to the government of Seychelles in 2022.

“This initiative, together with biodegradable FADs research and MSC progressive certification, is an integral part of the European ship-owners' commitment to ensure sustainable fishing in the Indian Ocean region,” Europêche Tuna Group Director Anne-France Mattlet said. 

The new agreement aiming to improve the sustainability of dFADs in the Indian Ocean comes as NGOs and countries in the area have been critical of the European Union’s stance on their use. At recent meetings of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the regional fishery management organization (RFMO) in charge of managing the various tuna fisheries in the region, multiple other countries have proposed new rules for the use of the devices – rules which the E.U. has objected to and can now ignore.

The IOTC adopted a 72-day closure period for the use of dFADs in early 2023, a move the E.U. openly opposed. The E.U. later went on to formally object to the new rules, which effectively allows them to opt out of the IOTC management measure.

After the initial rules passed, the E.U. put forth a proposal of its own on dFADs that would delay the start of any new rules, and defer the issue to the IOTC Scientific Committee. The E.U. reportedly disagreed with the 72-day closure period arguing that it was not scientifically based.

The 27th session of the IOTC in May, however, was once again another failure as the member states – including the E.U. – once again could not reach any agreement on managing dFADs. Other member states did not take up the E.U.’s proposal to delay the measure, while NGOs like the International Pole and Line Foundation and the Blue Marine Foundation criticized the bloc’s stance.  

Photo courtesy of Europêche