Scoop of tuna and bycatch from the net of the Albatun Tres, the world’s largest purse seiner. All the contents of the scoop, including turtles and sharks caught in the vicinity of a fish aggregation device (FAD) will be indiscriminately deposited to the hold of the ship for freezing. Around 10% of the catch generated by purse seine FAD fisheries is unwanted bycatch and includes endangered species of sharks and turtles. The catch of large amounts of juvenile bigeye and yellowfin tunas in these fisheries is now threatening the survival of these commercially valuable species.
Greenpeace activists are on an inflatable next to the vessel documenting the fishing activity. Greenpeace is calling for a total ban on the use of fish aggregation devices in purse seining and the establishment of a global network of marine reserves.