By Holly Koehler and Dr. Gala Moreno
The science is clear. Solutions exist. And resources are within reach.
Non-entangling and biodegradable fish aggregating devices (bio-FADs)—made from bamboo, hemp, cotton, and other organic materials—offer a sustainable, effective alternative to conventional drifting FADs.
There are real consequences to the continued use of conventional FADs made with plastic and synthetic materials, which can damage the marine ecosystem when lost or abandoned.
Fishers use FADs to harvest more than 38 percent of the tropical tuna catch, and between 19,000 and 40,000 FADs are deployed or re-deployed annually in the WCPO. It has been estimated that only 6 percent of FAD buoys in that region were retrieved from the ocean by purse seiners or other vessels; the rest were stranded (11.3 percent ), abandoned (44.8 percent ), or had an unknown fate (37.6 percent ).
Recent research on FADs stranded on the Hawaiian Islands and Palmyra atoll showed that the average time from deployment to stranding was approximately two years and could be as long as seven years.
The WCPO produces more than half of the world’s tuna catch. By not requiring its fleets to transition to bio-FADs, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission is out of step with its peer tuna regional fisheries management organizations: the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).
After passing binding bio-FAD resolutions, IATTC, ICCAT and IOTC are guiding their fleets toward fully biodegradable FADs by 2028 (ICCAT) and 2030. (For IATTC, the 2030 deadline excludes flotation components. The requirement to use fully biodegradable FADs, including the flotation components, is expected to take effect in 2031, subject to regulatory approval.)
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ISSF has led research on bio-FAD designs for more than 10 years and pioneered the “jelly-FAD”—an innovative design inspired by the drift and buoyancy of jellyfish and co-designed with fishers.
Thousands of jelly-FADs have been tested by fleets in all three oceans, including in the WCPO by fleets from China, Taiwan, the Federated States of Micronesia, Japan, Korea, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands and the United States, through a project led by Dr. Lauriane Escalle from the Pacific Community in collaboration with ISSF.
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Bio-FAD designs have been developed through years of collaboration among scientists, vessel owners, fishers, NGOs, government agencies and regional organizations, with positive results:
Trials in the Pacific and Indian Oceans show comparable catch performance between biodegradable and conventional FADs, with jelly-FADs outperforming conventional FADs in Eastern Pacific tests.
Bio-FADs are feasible for use at commercial scale. Fleets have tested thousands, including jelly-FADs, in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans.
Bio-FADs typically last long enough for fishing operations but degrade before becoming persistent drifting debris. Jelly-FADs have average lifespans of nine to 12 months.
Fishers can customize components and structures using local organic materials to suit fishing conditions. Jelly-FADs, for example, can incorporate different woods and plant fibers.
Bio-FAD costs are also comparable to conventional FADs.
The availability and affordability of organic materials will vary, and some regional supply chains face constraints. Remote Pacific islands and atolls that are members of WCPFC may face higher transition costs. However, these practical barriers can be overcome.
To support WCPFC members and fleets, ISSF has launched a research project mapping fleets, ports, manufacturing facilities, and natural materials across the WCPO. This factor should be considered when setting the timeline but is not a reason to avoid developing one.
Bio-FADs are only one element of holistic FAD management, which also requires thorough FAD data collection and tracking, limits on the number of FADs, higher FAD recovery rates at sea and on land, and comprehensive monitoring coverage through both human observers and electronic monitoring.
The WCPO region has made, and continues to make, strides on these important components through measures adopted by WCPFC and initiatives launched by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, individual purse seine fleets, and partner NGOs.
Fishers will face learning curves, and bio-FAD designs will evolve as more is discovered through deployments and ongoing collaboration between scientists and fishers. But the WCPFC should not let “what ifs” delay implementation of innovative, known technological solutions to real problems.
Setting a transition timeline does not require science to anticipate and solve every potential challenge first. In fact, setting a time-bound goal can help drive problem-solving and allow fleets to plan and prepare.
The commission will not navigate this transition alone. ISSF and other NGOs stand ready with data, tools, and expertise. Scientists and fishers are eager to exchange technical knowledge, and peer RFMOs can share lessons learned.
Bio-FADs are the way forward—a needed next step in the continuous improvement of FAD management and a solution for reducing tuna fishing’s impact on marine ecosystems. WCPFC has the science, practical solutions, and international precedents it needs to commit to a bio-FAD transition timeline this December.
Dr. Holly Koehler is the vice president of policy and outreach at the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation; Dr. Gala Moreno is a research scientist at the foundation. The views and opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of the Pacific Island Times.
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