SPC’s Stock Assessment and Modelling team’s scientists have been working on a regional database recording stranded drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs) in Pacific coastal areas. To date, 11 programmes have been set up in 11 Pacific countries and territories to record the stranding of these devices and their impact on the environment, particularly on coral reefs and fragile marine species, as well as the materials used, their design and the possibilities for reusing them.
French Polynesia launched a programme in 2019, led by the Département des Ressources Marines (DRM), with the same objectives, following the observation of large numbers of strandings events in the different archipelagos. The programmes are citizen-science based reports carried out by local communities. However, data can sometimes be incomplete, and this could affect data quality. To address this, data collection surveys have been used to quantify the number of strandings events and to gather information on both spatial and temporal aspects.
Jennyfer Mourot from the SPC team joined DRM to assist in a collection campaign for stranded dFADs in French Polynesia, and more specifically in the Marquesas Islands. It is part of the ongoing data collection effort and follows the first data collection survey on nine islands in the Tuamotus, carried out in 2022. This mission was also an opportunity to begin a feasibility study for the potential implementation of a FAD watch/FAD retrieval programme.
I was welcomed in Papeete by Thibaut Thellier, from DRM, who leads the deep-sea fishing projects as well as the drifting FAD survey programme. Our first stop was to visit the Plastic Odyssey ship, which had made a stopover in French Polynesia and during its three-year expedition to find and share solutions for plastic pollution. During their voyage, which started in October 2022, they confirmed that they had seen quite a few stranded or drifting FADs which could be relevant to our database. On board, they have a workshop for recycling plastic materials to create boards (or other shapes) from recycled plastic to make new objects. We were given a tour and an explanation of the various processes and machines used.
I left Papeete for Nuku Hiva to join the team in charge of the survey and the collection of drifting FADs. The team “Volume Ocean” are specialised in dive cruises in the Tuamotus, but they also take part in scientific projects. When I joined, they had already surveyed the islands of Hiva Oa and Tahuata, and Nuku Hiva was their last stop. They had registered about 150 stranding events, and even found some dFADs sunk on the ocean bed. The underwater removal process is shown in figure 2. They attached lift bags full of air to the structure, which is lifted towards the surface.
In Nuku Hiva, we began the survey by talking to fishers in the main village of Taiohae, giving them the background to the survey programme in French Polynesia. We explained what dFADs are, in what context they are used, the benefits of dFADs as well as the negative aspects they present for the environment and navigation. During discussions with fishers and locals, we collected quite a few buoys and nets directly from their homes, some of which had been there for years.
We also organised a public meeting in the town hall, in addition to informal discussions, to explain the programme’s objectives and answer any questions people may have. However, on Nuku Hiva, and from what I heard on the other islands, few people were present. On the whole, we found that some local residents were interested, keen to help and asked a lot of questions, while others had some reservations about the objectives and what benefits this programme would bring.
On the more isolated islands such as the Marquesas, journalists and scientists (and other professionals) come to work on projects that rely on the involvement of local communities, and they are very happy to help, but they also tell us that they have little, or no feedback on what they have contributed to. To increase awareness about this programme, DRM has produced communication tools that present the programme and summarise some results. At SPC, we are also working with the graphic design team to develop communication materials to meet this public demand, and recently produced a flyer summarising the programme’s objectives, with some results either at a country or regional scale (Figure 3). Some Pacific islands do not have sufficient internet access, so the information relayed (or information they want to share from their side) does not always reach these remote locations. I realised how important it is to go there in person from time to time to share projects.
To read more, please check this link: https://bit.ly/dFAD_FNL174.
For more information, please contact Jennyfer Mourot Research Assistant – Fish Aggregating Devices, SPC [email protected].
This post was originally published on here
