Stakeholders gear up for FADs clean-up expedition   By Laura Pillay |19 October 2022

Minister Ferrari addressing the team during the launch of the exercise yesterday (Photo credit: SFA)

Concerned with the issue of roving Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), the Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy is engaging with local stakeholders to conduct clean-up expeditions to collect and remove such debris washed up in reefs, lagoons and on the shores of the Seychelles islands.

FADs, which are widely used in and around Seychelles waters by tuna purse seiners and tuna fishing vessels, are free-floating platforms equipped with a GPS to attract large concentrations of fish.

According to the Island Conservation Society of Seychelles (ICS), around 1200 such devices are deployed annually by supply boats from the purse seiner companies operating in Seychelles waters.

In light of the non-biodegradable nature of the materials commonly used in the fabrication of FADs, and the destructive effects on coastal habitats, sensitive marine fauna and reefs, the ministry, in collaboration with the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG), Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF) and Island Conservation Society (ICS) have agreed to together undertake a number of concrete actions to mitigate the adverse impacts of FADs, commencing with a FADs collection and transportation operation which was launched yesterday afternoon.

Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-François Ferrari, noted that the project is representative of the teamwork between the ministry, the Blue Economy department, and Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA).

According to him, discussions with the fishing companies have led to them contributing around €175,000 per annum, amounting to approximately R2 million towards addressing the situation.

“These FADs can sometimes break away, get lost, drift and end up on the beaches. And many of our southern-most islands are affected. The funds are used to finance the SCG to recuperate drifting FADs, and those that are already on the beaches on those southern islands,” the minister said.

“It is really a partnership, and it is the first time that we do such an exercise,” Minister Ferarri noted.

In going forward, the ministry hopes to be able to conduct the clean-up at least twice a year.

For the first expedition, two second-year students from the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA), Sandra Souffe and Sandrine Thelermont, will be joining the SCG onboard the Saya de Malha, a former purse seiner supply boat adequately equipped with necessary cranes and deck storage space to undertake targeted operations to remove and load rogue FADs deposited along reefs and shores, to be transported back to Mahé on October 29.

Although the vessel is well-equipped, the SCG will also have to employ smaller vessels to be able to access the shores and reefs to remove the debris. Excluding the SMA students, 29 crew members will be partaking in the clean-up.

As per Major Ivel Ernesta of the SCG, the vessel is to spend at least a day on each of the Amirantes islands,  comprising Desroches, African Banks, Rémire, D'Arros, St. Joseph, Poivre, Étoile, Boudeuse, Marie Louise, and Desnoeufs, whereby they will scan the area and remove the FADs.

For the present moment, it is not clear where the most debris from FADs are located, although the SCG is expecting to be able to determine such upon concluding the first trip. 

“We are supposed to cover all of the outer islands, but will start off with the Amirantes Group. Later, we will move to the Assomption group, Farquhar, Aldabra, those located further south. The Amirantes group is closer to the inner islands,” Major Ernesta noted.

Given the complexity of such a mission, notably the vastness of Seychelles waters, distances involved, numbers of islands and sites, meteorological conditions, general lack of specific information relating to actual sites and numbers, and logistics and financial support, SCG intends to conduct subsequent missions in March 2023 when prevailing sea conditions are more favourable.

FADs are commonly made up of a 2x2 metre wide bamboo raft covered with shade material and fishing nets or ropes, hanging down from the corners to a depth of 20 to 50 metres. They are equipped with echo-sounders and satellite buoys, and are either anchored or untethered and free to drift on the ocean surface.

Most of the materials used to build the FADs, such as nets, ropes and fishing buoys are non-biodegradable and if abandoned or lost contributes to marine pollution.