Manual on anchored fish aggregating devices (FADs):

An update on FAD gear technology, designs and deployment methods for the Pacific Island region

Preface

This manual updates the SPC 2005 FAD manual (Chapman et al. 2005) by drawing on experience and lessons learned by FAD practitioners across the Pacific over the past decade. Practitioners include individuals from regional organisations, national and provincial governments, non-governmental organisations, and fisher associations and communities. The requirement for an updated technical manual emerged from a regional FAD expert consultation held in 2016, where Pacific FAD practitioners came together to share knowledge and experiences in FAD designs, innovation and implementation. As the title suggests, this manual provides an update on FAD gear technology, designs and deployment methods for the Pacific Islands region. The SPC 2005 FAD manual contains important and relevant technical information for FAD practitioners. This information has not been repeated here but there are references to the 2005 manual throughout where relevant.

The authors wish to acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of all the experts, in particular the national fisheries agencies technical FAD staff, who gave their time to share insights into key lessons and developments on anchored FADs, and options for more cost-effective FAD designs. Those insights and experiences are included in the manual. In particular, the authors would like to thank Anne-Maree Schwarz, Samol Kanawi and Mainui Tanetoa for taking the time to review the manual. This manual has been made possible through the financial assistance of the Australian Government through ACIAR project FIS/2016/300 and the French Pacific Fund.

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Download the complete publication:

FAD Manual (12Mo)

Table of contents

1. Introduction

2. Standard anchored FAD designs
Download chapter 2 (7.5 Mo)

Lagoon FAD

Bamboo FAD

Indo-Pacific FAD

Subsurface FAD

Lizard FAD

Spar buoy type FADs

3. Regional FAD design modifications
Download chapter 3 (211 ko)

French Polynesian FAD

Vatuika FAD

4. Anchored FAD technical considerations
Download chapter 4 (4.1 Mo)

FAD Upper floatation technical considerations

FAD main line technical considerations

Anchor technical considerations

5. Safe FAD deployments
Download chapter 5 (36 Ko)

FAD deployment location and bathymetric surveys

Small boat deployments

Small barge deployments

Deployment techniques

Safety considerations for FAD deployments

6. FAD maintenance and monitoring
Download chapter 6 (57 Ko)

Maintaining FADs

Monitoring FADs

Other FAD-related publications