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A critique of the ecosystem impacts of drifting and anchored FADs use by purse-seine tuna fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2012

Bruno Leroy ,
Joe Scutt Phillips ,
Simon Nicol ,
Graham M. Pilling ,
Shelton Harley ,
Don Bromhead ,
Simon Hoyle ,
Sylvain Caillot ,
Valerie Allain  and
John Hampton
Bruno Leroy*
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Joe Scutt Phillips
Affiliation:
Institute for Complex Systems Simulation, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, UK
Simon Nicol
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Graham M. Pilling
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Shelton Harley
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Don Bromhead
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Simon Hoyle
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Sylvain Caillot
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Valerie Allain
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
John Hampton
Affiliation:
Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
*
a Corresponding author: brunol@spc.int
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Abstract

In the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), which accounts for over half of world tuna production, purse seine effort and catch on floating objects have increased significantly due to a rapid increase in the use of fixed and free-floating fish aggregation devices (FADs). FAD fishing has had an impact on the current status of the stocks of the three main target tunas in the equatorial WCPO, skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye (T. obesus). FADs have been shown to influence the behaviour and movement patterns of the three tuna species with the juveniles of each species occupying shallower habitats when associated with FADs. Aggregation of tunas around drifting objects increases their vulnerability to purse seine gear, particularly for juvenile and small size classes. Further to the impacts on the target stocks, the use of FADs has increased the vulnerability of other fishes to the purse seine method, including some shark and billfish species. Given the concern over FAD-related fishing effort on target and bycatch species, there is a need to understand how FAD use affects target and bycatch stocks. Science needs to better support management decisions are highlighted including the need to identify the magnitude of broader community-level affects.

Keywords

Bigeye tunaSkipjack tunaYellowfin tunaPurse seineFish aggregating devicesBycatch, Pacific Ocean
Type
Review
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 49 - 61
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2012

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