Setting a New Course and Speed for Bycatch Reduction in Tuna Purse Seine Fishing

Leading authorities in the art and science of catching tuna - net makers, skippers, fleet operators, seafood processors, marine scientists, and fishery managers - gathered in Sukarrieta, Spain, in late November 2009 to make a novel attempt to accelerate the search for solutions to one of the global industry's biggest environmental problems, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to International Seafood Sustainability Foundation.

The 33 experts began the task of globally coordinating research - conducted heretofore in a patchwork of independent, self-directed regional projects - into reducing the volume of ocean life unintentionally wasted by purse seine fishing, one of the most efficient methods of catching tuna..

The newly formed International Seafood Sustainability Foundation developed the coordination concept, organized the conference and served as sponsoring host at the AZTI-Tecnalia laboratory near Sukarrieta's fishing center, home port for many globe-roaming tuna skippers. The participants responded with approval of the concept, robust discussions over four days, and express willingness to proceed without delay.  As a result, the ISSF expects to follow with an overarching research strategy, detailed project planning, coordinated experimentation at sea, harmonized data collection, and global collaboration in developing, proving, and implementing improvements in fishing gear, technology, and practices.