Cia Europa de Tunidos SL.requires onboard its vessel ALBACORA CUATRO the use of the following best practices for FAD management, identified in ISSF Technical Report 2023-10, which updates ISSF Technical Report 2019-11, "Recommended Best Practices for FAD management in Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fisheries":

a) Comply with flag state and RFMO reporting requirements for fisheries statistics by set type

We commit to:

• Filling out completely and accurately the logbooks, including FAD logbook information, by set type required by Spanish authorities and/or the corresponding tRFMO and submitting them by electronic reporting to the required authority and/or tRFMO

We commit to: 

•  Achieving 100% observer coverage, even if not required by the tRFMO, on all fishing trips through the use of human observers  through the regional observer program operated by tRFMO.

We also commit to:  

• Collecting data on the number of active FADs and FAD activity (deployments, visits, sets and loss) as required by tRMFO and submitting them to the required authority.

• Authrizing satellite data buoy provider to provide Spanish authorities buoy daily position data to estimate the number of active FADs and voluntarily submitting them to the tRFMO.

b) Voluntarily report additional FAD buoy data for use by RFMO science bodies

We commit to:    

• Participate in a scientific program by AZTI by providing daily positions and echo-sounder data for every company-owned FAD, with a time-lag as needed to ensure confidentiality.

• Provide FAD daily position and echo-sounder data when required by RFMO.

• Report FAD buoy daily position data to the relevant RFMO science bodies and/or national scientific institutions and/or flag State, with a maximum time lag of 90 days. Data submissions must include the vessel name and IMO number . Deployments should be identified in the data submissions when possible. And, if reporting to national scientific institution or flag state, we shall request that these data be made available to the relevant RFMO for scientific purposes.

• Provide FAD buoy echo-sounder acoustic biomass data to the relevant [RFMO science bodies and/or national scientific institutions and/or flag State], with a maximum time lag of 90 days. Data submissions must include the vessel name and IMO number .And, if reporting to national scientific institution or flag state, we shall request that these data be made available to the relevant RFMO for scientific purposes.

c) Support science-based limits on the overall number of FADs used per vessel and/or FAD sets made

We commit to:

•  Abiding by the limit of active number of FADs adopted by tRFMO.

• Deploying only FADs with satellite tracking buoys.

• Not reactivating remotely buoys that were previously deactivated. They will only be reactivated when the buoys are back in port.

• Abiding by the FAD time area closure established by tRFMO.

d) Use only non-entangling FADs to reduce ghost fishing

We commit to:

• Only deploying or redeploying  FADs that are completely non-entangling (i.e., without any netting) according to the ISSF Guide for Non-Entangling FADs.

• Not deploying any "high entanglement risk" FAD according to the ISSF Guide for Non-Entangling FADs

• Removing from the water and bringing back to port all encountered “high entanglement risk “ FADs according to the ISSF Guide for Non-Entangling FADs

• Retrieving, where practicable, any encountered pre-existing non-fully NEFAD (whether a set is done or not) which is not in compliance with this measure.

e) Mitigate other environmental impacts due to FAD loss including through the use of biodegradable FADs and FAD recovery policies

We commit to:

•  Studying the feasibility of using FADs with only biodegradable material in their construction except the floatation structure of the raft.

• Participating in tests of locally-sourced biodegradable materials in collaboration with ATZI.

• Studying the feasibility of deploying simpler and smaller FADs.

• Participate in cooperative efforts, such as the "FAD Watch" in the Seychelles Islands, for the elimination of stranded FADs

• Do not dispose of any component of the FADs at sea, unless it is made of biodegradable material. Reuse all possible materials and those that are not will be disposed of at the port.

• Promote the use of biodegradable materials for the manufacture of DCPs

f) For silky sharks (the main bycatch issue in FAD sets) implement further mitigation efforts

We commit to:

• Applying Best Practices for safe handling and release of sharks and rays brought onboard.

• Practicing best safe handling and release of sharks and rays brought onboard.

• Participate in projects for the development of new systems for the release of sharks.