Acronym FADs
Category
Fisheries
Title Il ruolo ecologico dei FADs in Tirreno Meridionale (L.41/82) - The ecological role of FADs in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (L.41/82) Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator Franco Andaloro Coordinator email franco.andaloro@isprambiente.it
Coordinator institution
ISPRA - Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Italy)
Institutions involved
NA
Start year 2000 End year 2003 Funding (€) € 98,000 Website NA Summary Fishermen have taken advantage of the aggregating behaviour of some fish species which live underneath floating since ancient time, searching for drifting wrecks and more recently using artificial floating objects (Fish Aggregating Devices, FADs). In the Mediterranean sea the FADs fishery has as its target Coryphaena hippurus (dolphinfish) and Naucrates ductor (pilotfish) and is of a solely seasonal and artisanal nature. In Sicilian fishery harbours FADs fishery has shown a strong development in the last few years due to the low investment costs as well as the search for new resources. In Sicilian waters, this fact has caused the number of FADs to grow from 6,000 in 1980 to the current 15,500, with a peak of 19,000 in 1999. The development of the use of FADs, today raises a problem concerning their ecological role on the pelagic ecosystem and their influence on the recruitment and the life success of the associated species. The research program, realized in agreement with the statements of the code of conduct for a responsible fishery and the precautionary approach to fishery, was conducted in Sicily between 2000 and 2003. The study has permitted us to verify that this activity is today practiced by 289 fishing vessels in 24 Sicilian fishery harbours and has reached the maximum expansion occupying the entire available area, although a fluctuation of the number of FADs utilized can be reported in relation to the results of the previous years and of the yield of other fishing activities. A strong activity of recreational fishermen who fish with lines underneath professional FADs, has been evidenced. Through the monitoring of professional fishery, the observations and the experimental fishing activities, conducted within a time span of 12 months in a FADs field realized between Capo d'Orlando and the Eolian Islands, it was possible to identify 11 associated fish species and to study the evolution in time of the assemblage, the demographic structure of the associated species and their trophic interrelations. In another experimental FADs field realized in the Castellamare Gulf, again over a 12 month period, observations regarding the recruitment and the behaviour of the associated fish species and homing experiments, by means of visual census and marking, were conducted. In a further experimental FADs field, realized in the Falcone area during the professional fishery season, between August and November 2003, catches with seines with and without purse lines were conducted in order to study the compared catchability of the main fishing gears used by fishermen. The results of the study have shown that the number of FADs utilized in Sicilian seas could be reduced maintaining the fishing yields unaltered and that the fishery activities should not be practiced during the summer, between July and August, in order to protect the juveniles of Thunnus thynnus (tuna) and Seriola dumerili (greater amberjack). In order to minimize the environmental impact of this activity and to solve the conflict with the other artisanal fishing activities, it seems necessary to find a manner to remove from the sea bottom the ballasts and the anchoring lines currently abandoned on the sea bottom at the end of the fishing activity, which represent a barrier for the bottom longlines fishery. From an ecosystemic point of view, FADs, offering protection also to the secondary associated species, have a positive effect on the life success of those species which are not captured or that are thrown back into the sea, such as Balistes carolinensis (grey triggerfish), Caranx crysos (blue runner) and Schedophilus ovalis (imperial blackfish), while they have a negative effect on those species that are commercialised such as S. dumerili, T. and Poliprion americanus (wreckfish). We think that, in order to solve the conflicts and to optimise the activity, FADs fishery in Italian seas should be regulated with regard to the fishing period and the number of FADs to be utilized.
Keywords
Fish aggregating device;
Fisheries management;
Fishing mortality;
Environmental impact;
Marine Region
48
South Tyrrhenian Sea (GSA 10)
1
Marine Region Map
