THERE has been a big push across the Pacific to use the power of fish aggregating devices(FADs) to attract ocean going pelagic fish such as marlin, tuna and mahi-mahi.
This was revealed by Pacific Community (SPC) Division of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME) senior coastal fisheries scientist Andrew Halford.
Mr Halford said pelagic fish liked to lure around FADs.
“It is like the bait fish which comes in first, followed by the bigger fish and then the bigger fishes chase the smaller fishes and so on,” Mr Halford said.
“The idea traditionally is that FADs have been put offshore, drifting in open ocean and anchored well offshore.”
He said now the idea was to set up these FADs closer to the shores so that fishermen who used to fish in the reefs could go out to these FADs and fish for marlin, tuna and mahimahi.
“This will allow them to catch these fishes which they traditionally would have caught in the reefs,” he said.
“This gives fishermen another source of fish protein and to sell for their income.
It also reduces the pressure on the reefs. “By this, fishermen do not need to go out in the reefs to fish. If they feel like fishing, they can simply go to these FADs and catch fi sh.”
He added some FADs had been installed in Ra and there had been some work done in Kadavu as well.
“My understandingis that this system will continue to roll out. We at SPC have a dedicated group called Fisheries Livelihood Section and they are heavily involved in this system,” he said.
