Taiwanese fishing and processing group FCF has signed a memorandum of co-operation with the Pacific Community (SPC) to work together on the development of Jelly FADs, non-entangling and biodegradable FADs in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), with the goal of supporting industry’s uptake of more ecologically sustainable drifting FAD designs.
FCF hopes to effectively promote research and development of eco-friendly FADs to support fishery sustainability.
Drifting FADs commonly use netting in their construction. The impacts associated to the use of plastic netting at FADs are entanglement of marine fauna, impacts on vulnerable ecosystem such as marine debris. Therefore, the development of the non-entangling and biodegradable FADs are regarded as an important part of the fishery sustainability.
The Jelly-FAD, tested by FCF, SPC and ISSF this time as part of the WCPFC project 110, was designed by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). It reduces the size of the structure so that the impact when a Jelly FAD is lost is minimised and also to facilitates retrieval.
The structure of the Jelly FAD also eliminates the netting materials to avoid ghost-fishing when it is lost, abandoned or discarded. In addition, Jelly FAD itself is completely made of biodegradable materials, such as cotton and bamboo, instead of plastic-based components, to minimise the ecological impact of drifting FADs.
This project is also the first time that FCF has co-operated with scientific units of Regional Fishery Management Organisations. It is currently expected to complete the building of its first Jelly FAD this year and FCF will assist with introducing the Jelly FAD to participating fishing vessels for ten-month at-sea trials.
Image: ISSF/Joaquín Salvador
