One of the controls fisheries authorities are taking, is that the fishing boat class six (of 364 metric tons and up) that caught species using the seiner system, must install the juveniles excluder grid before leaving for fishing ground. This oversight stems from a provision contained in the Ministerial Agreement 133 of 10 July 2008.
The primary objective is that during fishing operations can save juvenile tuna, dorado, wahoo, among others. This is because they are not yet ready for harvesting and marketing. The control started on January 1.
Biologist Fabricio Rios, the Technical Secretariat for Fisheries Resources (SRP) responsible for inspections, said that so far has complied with the procedure in 48 percent of the national fleet, which meant 21 ships and 19 percent associated with the fleet, ie 8 fishing vessels.
Preservation
Rios said that Ecuador is the only tuna country in the world taken such action, reflecting the interest in conserving resources for future generations bio-hydrologic.
The technician said that the measure is met normally, despite the costs that owners should do in the acquisition of the device, they acquire in Spanish or Ecuadorian companies.
“The grid is constructed in such a way that allows juvenile fish, which weigh up to three pounds, to escape alive from the net before it is rolled out entirely of water,” he explained.
The official added that any vessel that do not have installed yet the Excluder grid net, will be granted the respective annual fishing permit, and consequently can not obtain the respective authority granted by the sailing boat.
More options
According to the fisheries authorities, there are reports of observers who verified that through the grid were saved even specimens of up to 7 pounds of weight. This means good news, because a fish of that weight is also considered a juvenile.
System
Grid SpecificationsThe grid is installed in 3 and 4 hours and measured 3 meters wide by 4 long.
Its metal structure is made up of two kinds of cells: the first group of cells in 24 cm long by eight wide, and the second by 12 long and eight wide.
