Coral Triangle InitiativeCoral Triangle Initiative

FAO-GEF Project REBYC II – CTIFAO-GEF Project REBYC II – CTI

Strategies for Trawl Fisheries Strategies for Trawl Fisheries Bycatch Management Bycatch Management

Petri Suuronen (FAO)Coral Triangle Fishers Forum, Indonesia, 15-17 June

2010

• Bottom/shrimp trawl fisheries in high-biodiversity ecosystems produces large quantities of low value fish (bycatch):

‘trash fish’

increasinly juveniles

• Growing concern that trash fish catch is:

threatening sustainability of fisheries

affecting livelihoods and opportunities

decreasing food security

Why worry about Why worry about bycatch? bycatch? Why Why

REBYC II is needed?REBYC II is needed?

Purpose of REBYC II – CTI Purpose of REBYC II – CTI projectproject

• Improve trawl fisheries management and practices

– minimise the catch of juveniles

– minimise discards where such take place

– avoid capture of protected species

– avoid destructive impact on sensitive habitats

– reduce overall footprint of fisheries on biodiversity

• Evaluate costs and benefits– balance between environmental

well-being and human well-being

– win-win-win is the goal

How is this achieved?

• The project will work directly with:

– fishers (small scale and large scale)

– fishing industry (processors, retailers)

– other stakeholders

• The project will engage the private sector to participate in developing and adopting best practices

• The project will assist and facilitate a change and seek a regional consensus !

The project spans over:The project spans over:- Coral Triangle area- Coral Triangle area- South China Sea- South China Sea

The project spans over:The project spans over:- Coral Triangle area- Coral Triangle area- South China Sea- South China Sea

Challenges Challenges

• How to reduce overcapacity and excess effort ?

– a major driver in IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing)

• Trash fish increasingly important for livelihoods

– aquaculture development a strong economic driver (high demand of feed)

– how to create effective incentives for fishers to reduce trash fish?

– how to increase resilience of coastal livelihoods (in face of conservation pressures)

• The project has a limited budget cannot address all problems!

Potential solutionsPotential solutions

cooperation on zonation and closed areas

self directed fishing effort controls

collaboration in improving fishing practices

alternative feeds for aquaculture

cooperation to improve legislation

We are all working towards the same goal

Strong collaboration with national, regional and global partners is needed!

Benefits to reduce trash fish and Benefits to reduce trash fish and juvenilesjuveniles

• Improvement of productive potential of fish stocks: improved yields in the future larger size of fish

larger economic gains improved food security positive public attitude

• Reduction of the operational costs: improved catch quality and value less gear drag = reduced fuel cost

reduced sorting time of catch

Thank you!Thank you!