Preliminary report on the moratorium on the use of FADS by purse seiners in tuna fishing in Ghana

Abstract

ICCAT recommended a restricting periodically the use of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) by Tuna Purse seine vessels in the Atlantic Ocean. This recommendation was based on recent scientific evidence indicating the extensive destruction of juvenile tunas by this method of fishing. Ghana participated in the moratorium during the months of November 1999 to January 2000. A total of 5 Purse seine vessels operated from Tema, spending 238 days at sea with observers deployed onboard to monitor their fishing activities. Preliminary results show a reduction of approximately 40% in overall catches of the principal tuna species as compared to the same period in 1998-1999, with a likely decrease in quantities (weight) of the juvenile tunas taken by the Purse seines.