Éditeur(s) : Pêche thonière et dispositifs de concentration de poissons, Caribbean-Martinique, 15-19 Oct 1999
Résumé : This paper develops a comparative overview of the development of Fish Aggregating Devices (or fads) by the tropical purse seine fisheries in various ocean areas (Atlantic, Indian, Western and Eastern Pacific Oceans). First, a comparative review of fishery statistics is developed. Recent catches on fads by purse seiners can be estimated at a level of one million tons yearly. This comparison allows to describe the fishing zones and catch trends over time, the species composition and size taken in the various fad fisheries. Skipjack tuna is the dominant species in most fad fisheries, but significant amounts of yellowfin and bigeye are also frequently taken under fads. The paper also presents an overview of various observer data concerning the by-catches of the various fisheries using fads. This comparison allows to estimate the total worldwide yearly by-catches at about 100,000 t, and their species composition in each ocean. The fad technology used in the various oceans by purse seiners is described. The recent use of fads by purse seiners has introduced major uncertainties in most stock assessments, because analyses are hampered by changes in the fishing effort in a fad fishery, by changes in fishing zones and in sizes caught. As a last point, the management of fads presently done or in view by the various tuna bodies are introduced. It appears that the present massive use of fads worldwide is perhaps an unsafe fishing mode, which could produce serious overfishing of many stocks. There is then a consensus that the use of fads needs to be controlled and limited to sustainable biological levels.

Droits : Ifremer
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00042/15278/12664.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00042/15278/

Éditeur(s) : Pêche thonière et dispositifs de concentration de poissons, Caribbean-Martinique, 15-19 Oct 1999
Résumé : The original baitboat fishing technique using a permanent association between the fishing boat and the tuna school has been developed by the baitboat fleet of Dakar, Senegal and is also in use in the Canary Islands. This new fishing technique, the result of 20 years of improvements still on, has induced a dramatic increase of the catch yields which, in turn, has sustained the survival and even a recent development of the fleet. This technique is based on the aggregating behaviour of tropical tunas. However, it contains a dynamic component which is not found in tuna fishing on drifting or anchored fads. The specifications of the method, its refinement over the years and its main consequences for the fishery are described together with the school exchanges between baitboats over months even from one year to the next. Based on the analysis of 1228 recoveries from 5500 tagged fish, tuna movements among associated schools, between associated schools and free schools fished by purse seiners and movements in and out of the baitboat fishing grounds help to better understand the dynamics of tunas and schools of this peculiar tuna association. These data show a very high recovery rate, a remarkable tuna fidelity to the original school for all species, a small number of recoveries within the purse seine catch as well as the rare tuna movements outside the baitboat area. The study highlights the complexity and the numerous consequences of tuna and school behaviour.

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00042/15304/12637.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00042/15304/