IMIS

Anchored Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) are coastal installations set at fixed locations to support professional fishers by taking advantage of the natural aggregation behavior of migratory pelagic fish. On Réunion Island, anchored FADs were developed starting in 1988 by IFREMER and contributed to the redeployment of the artisanal fishing fleet toward offshore waters, up to 12 nautical miles from the coast. This development policy led to several positive outcomes: it reduced fishing pressure on vulnerable coastal demersal species, created new fishing grounds further offshore, shortened fishing time, and increased the economic profitability of fishing activities.

Today, anchored FADs are a vital tool for the maintenance and sustainable development of artisanal fisheries, as the vast majority of small-scale coastal fishing vessels target these FADs as their main fishing areas. Fishing activities around these devices rely on hook-based fishing techniques (trolling lines, handlines, and vertical drifting longlines), which promote a targeted and selective exploitation of mainly adult pelagic species. In order to better understand the interactions between anchored FADs and marine ecosystems, it is necessary to improve knowledge of targeted catches, discards, and to better quantify the fishing effort of professional fleets. The complementarity and experience of the project partners (CRPMEM of Réunion Island, CITEB, IFREMER, and IRD) will make it possible to achieve the expected objectives. The project is designed to meet the fishing sector’s expectations in terms of fishing strategies and sustainable development of pelagic resources around Réunion Island. More broadly, it will improve knowledge of the migratory cycles of pelagic populations at the scale of the Indian Ocean. The AFICHÉ project is structured around four components shared among the partners and aimed at delivering the expected results:

Component 1: Improvement of scientific knowledge

Component 2: Assessment of interactions with fisheries

Component 3: Development of socio-economic indicators

Component 4: Coordination and dissemination of results