The devices are made from bio-based material, certified as biodegradable in marine environments.
Photo: AZTI.
Spanish fishing technology company Zunibal and leading marine research centre AZTI have announced a significant milestone in their development of a Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) certified as biodegradable in marine environments.
The development follows several months of trials in real and semi-controlled conditions from February 2024 to the present, conducted in collaboration with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the European tuna fleet. During the trials, 12 compostable FADs were tested in semi-controlled environments, and an additional 210 were deployed in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
These trials informed refinements to the FAD’s design, resulting in the first industrialized biodegradable FAD made entirely from a bio-based PBS (polybutylene succinate) material.
Derived from natural sources such as sugar cane, cassava, and corn, the material is certified under the ISO 19679 standard by the Japan BioPlastics Association (JBPA), and in compliance with Regional Fisheries Management Organizations’ (RFMOs) biodegradability requirements.
“This new certified material represents a significant advance in reducing the impact of tropical tuna fishing on the ecosystem, responding to regulatory and environmental challenges posed by the industry and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs)," said AZTI researcher Iker Zudaire, in a press release.
“This milestone is the result of a joint effort between the fishing sector and applied research. Thanks to previous tests, we have been able to perfect the design and material. Today we can say that we offer the first industrialized FAD of its kind made of a 100% biodegradable material suitable for marine environments," added Zunibal's Álvaro Núñez.
Photo: AZTI
One of the main advantages of this new platform is its improved mechanical properties, the research team said. Lighter yet more robust than its predecessors, it uses less material without compromising durability. If the FAD sinks, it decomposes through microbial activity, converting into carbon dioxide and water without leaving harmful residues.
As trials in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans draw to a close, further testing will commence to validate the device’s performance as a submerged platform in the Indian Ocean.
In parallel, preparations are now underway to demonstrate the new material’s capabilities to the wider fishing industry, the researchers said, with the objective of monitoring the platform’s real-world performance and evaluating its impact on tuna fleet operations.
