IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

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MADEMitigating adverse

ecological impacts of open ocean fisheries

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Primary objective:to propose measures to mitigate adverse impacts of fisheries targeting large pelagic fish in the open ocean through appropriate knowledge on the biology and ecology of

species, and of the fisheries

Pelagic longliners(tuna & swordfish)

Tuna purse seiners using Fish Aggregating Devices

(FADs)

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Specific objectives of MADE

To propose methods:• To reduce by-catch of sharks and juvenile swordfish

by pelagic longliners• To reduce by-catch of sharks, turtles and small tuna

by tuna purse seiners• To assess the effects of FADs on fish ecology

(ecological trap)

Silky shark

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

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AtlanticOcean

Mediterranean Sea

IndianOcean

Geography of MADE

Longliners

Purse seiners

PIRACY

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Longliners

• Development of an Ecological Based Artificial Bait ongoing

• 60 experimental longline sets (strategies to reduce catches of sharks) in La Réunion

• Observers data (DRC)• Economic data (for study on economic efficiency)

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Ecological FADs

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Ecological FADs

23 skippers were interviewedDeliverable D6.1 Design of ecological FADs (IOTC-2009-

WPEB-16)

Bamboo, sisal net tied in sausage, palm leaves, etc.

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Next steps onEcological FADs

• Testing those FADs in fishing conditions• With the help of tuna purse seiners, with 2

independent initiatives from France and Spain (with complementary funds)

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Releasing sharks from the deck

Sharks (Technical measures)

Estimate survival: tagging (pop-up tags)Help of French fishermen (complementary funding)

Produce a guide of best practices of sharks onboard PS

Atlantic Ocean

Belt to release bycatch

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

SharksImprove knowledge on Behaviour (acoustic and

pop-up tags, juveniles and adults), Biology (diet, stable isotopes), and Genetics

Behaviour: 4 silky sharks (adults) tagged in March 09 (Seychelles): 7 days and 3 months at liberty, 1 dead, 1 non reporting (Workshop in Seychelles)

Biology and Genetics: Data from La Réunion (longliners) and soon from tuna purse seiners (French & Spanish, piracy issue)

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Get information on species composition from echosounder

buoysGet information before arriving to the FAD Information on:

• Bycatch (triggerfish, rainobow runner, sharks, etc.)• Small tuna• Promising preliminary data (AZTI project)

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Spatio-temporal characteristics of bycatch (PS)• Common database IRD-IEO-AZTI (from DRC

programme) Analyses start• Economic data collected• Fishers Economic Knowledge (paper to be

submitted)

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Habitat changes due to release of FADs

(IOTC-2009-WPTT-19)

• No new « floating object » area

• No major change of densities of floating objects South of 7°S

• Major changes of densities of floating objects North of 7°S (x20 or x40 in Somalia area)

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Maps of spatial distribution of floating objects(from Observers data)

Would be improved with the help of fishermen:•As observers (objects not fished), see GAP initiative•By providing old data on all tracked FADs (6-12 months delay)

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Tuna tagging in MaldivesAnchored FADs

• 23 SKJ in Jan 2009 Average Residence Time = 3.3 daysNo movement between FADs independence (confirmed by conventional tagging)

• 20 SKJ + 20 YFT (1 archival tag) + 6 Triggerfish + 2 Rainbow runner in Nov 2009

IOTC SC – Dec 09 - Seychelles

Plans for tagging(Piracy issue)

Somalia

Seychelles

Maldives

MozambiqueChannel

+ ISSF Initiative+ SWIOFP