FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices)
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FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices or Fish Aggregation Devices) are man made objects used to attract ocean going pelagic fish such as marlin, tuna and mahi-mahi (dolphin fish). They usually consist of buoys or floats tethered to the ocean floor with concrete blocks. It is suspected that fish congregate around them for navigational purposes. Fish tend to move around the FADs in orbits of differing dimensions, as opposed to remaining stationary underneath the buoys. The are deployed for use by both recreational and commercial fisheries and there are two types; surface FADs and midwater or subsurface FADs. Subsurface FADs last longer due to less wear and tear from surface tension, but have the disadvantage of being harder to locate.
FADs are widely used in the Western Pacific purse seine fisheries. Many of the FADs deployed by the vessel contain sonar equipment & GPS receivers. A vessel can remotely contact a FAD, via satellite and look at the sonar readings to determine the size of a school of fish under the FAD. These are often referred to as "smart FADs".
Links
- [FADs in Hawaii, USA]
- [FADs in New South Wales, Australia]
- [FADs in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA]
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