News
Maitane Grande and Jefferson Murua have been appointed to chair two international expert groups on Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) within two of the world’s leading regional fisheries management organisations: the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), respectively.
These working groups bring together specialists from different countries with the aim of advancing the sustainable use of FADs, which are widely used in tropical tuna fisheries. Their work focuses on assessing the effects of FADs on marine ecosystems, reviewing the latest scientific developments and promoting solutions that help reduce their environmental impact.
The appointment of Maitane Grande and Jefferson Murua reflects the expertise that AZTI has built over the years in FAD research and in providing scientific support for the sustainable management of tuna fisheries. For many years, the centre has been actively involved in research projects and international advisory groups aimed at improving knowledge of these devices and supporting management decisions based on the best available scientific evidence.
Through these expert groups, the IATTC and the IOTC seek to promote increasingly responsible management of tropical tuna fisheries by incorporating sustainability criteria and measures to minimise impacts on marine ecosystems.
As the new chairs of these working groups, the AZTI researchers will play a key role in coordinating scientific discussions, identifying research priorities and developing recommendations that contribute to the long-term sustainability of tuna fisheries.