Developing a data standard for the retrieval of abandoned and lost FADs in the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean has seen a significant increase in the number of dFADs used in purse seine
fisheries, which has resulted in an exponential rise in tropical tuna catches. However, the negative impacts
such as catches of juvenile tunas, increase in several non-targeted species, ghost fishing and abandoned and
lost fishing gear remain a significant concern of developing coastal States. As fisheries managers debate the
trade-offs between mitigating adverse environmental impacts and economics around the value of tuna
landings, there is very little data regarding lost and abandoned FADs in the Indian Ocean, and the ecological
implications of these. When there are data, there is little cohesion between different data collection systems.
This paper aims to review the data protocols used by member countries, RFMOs, and independent entities
for collecting data on abandoned and lost dFADs, and to propose a tool to collect data on retrieval of
abandoned and lost FADs. The proposed data collection tool is based on four different elements: dFAD
retrieval information, dFAD material information, the fate of dFAD/the buoy, and the impacts on the marine
environment.