Cape Fisheries Research Collaborations and Sustainability Efforts
International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) / National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Mobulid Research Program
Although interactions with mobula rays are rare, they are one of the vulnerable non-target species within our fishery. For this reason, Cape Fisheries, in collaboration with ISSF, NOAA and fellow US flagged purse seiners, embarked on a bycatch mitigation research project for mobula rays in 2022. The research aims to improve species identification at sea, reduce post-release mortality, and gain a better understanding of their biology and behavior.
Initial phases involved placing DNA sampling kits onboard our fishing vessels and training crew on species identification. Their identification is confirmed through the collection of tissue samples which are returned to NOAA for analysis. To address post-release mortality, sorting grids were constructed which can be used to gently release the ray if they’re encountered during a fishing set, reducing physical stress and post release mortality.
Finally, our Cape Finisterre volunteered to take onboard an ISSF scientist for a fishing trip in order to conduct firsthand research. Not only will this scientist help to ensure proper use of the sorting grid and DNA sampling kits, but they also intend to deploy tags in mobula rays and train the crew to continue tagging research in the future.
Tuna Tagging Program
Cape Fisheries has been collaborating with The Pacific Community (SPC) Western Pacific Tuna Tagging Program since 2015. Each tagging season, Cape Fisheries shares access to their echosounder buoys and drifting FADs, which has greatly improved the efficiency of the tagging research. We’ve also helped to bring new industry partners into the collaboration, strengthening the connection between SPC’s researchers and the fishing industry. Cape Fisheries’ Senior Manager of Fishing Strategy, Beth Vanden Heuvel, also joined several fishing trips as a tuna tagging technician. The information gathered from these tagging trips is critical for assessing the status of tuna stocks and to improving our understanding of tuna behavior and ecology.
Biodegradable FAD Research
The Cape Fleet’s biodegradable FAD research began in earnest in 2019, in collaboration with TUNACONs and the IATTC scientific staff. Between 2019 and 2022, we participated in several rounds of biodegradable FAD deployments. The lessons learned during these efforts have strengthened our ability to increase the percentage of biodegradable FADs that are used in our normal operations. Since these initial designs fell short of our hopes for durability and aggregation potential, our efforts have recently shifted to trialing ISSF’s “Jelly-FAD” design.
Since 2022, we’ve been trialing these FADs at sea (in partnership with ISSF, SPC and the other US flagged purse seiners) and are optimistic about the early results. While studying the performance of Jelly-FADs, we continue to partner with global trading giant Tri Marine in trialing various types of biodegradable materials. We are hopeful that these trials will result in a viable biodegradable FAD design, which will significantly reduce the impact of our fishing operations.
Data Sharing with SPC
In 2018, Cape Fisheries began sharing historical FAD data to researchers at SPC for preliminary analysis on the research potential of the buoys’ acoustic data. The data was used for a range of topics, including the aggregation dynamics of drifting FADs, matching trajectories of FADs with vessel activity via log sheet and observer data, and evaluation of the accuracy of FAD detections to the hailed vessel catch. This last point was a critical step in considering whether echosounder buoys could be used to derive an independent biomass index for stock assessments. This collaboration is ongoing, with new results regularly being presented at the annual WCPFC SC meetings.
Data Sharing with IATTC and AZTI
Cape Fisheries partnered with the IATTC staff and AZTI in 2020 to share several years of historical FAD acoustic data. The goal of this collaboration was to develop a buoy-derived abundance index for tunas (ideally by individual species), which would aid stock assessments within the IATTC RFMO. The researchers at IATTC were able to successfully meet this goal, which filled a critical data gap in the 2022 skipjack stock assessment. The work is ongoing, with efforts to expand the data’s usefulness into other points of interest for the Commission (ex. MSE and habitat models).
Palmyra FAD Watch Program
In June of 2021, Cape Fisheries and other US flagged purse seiners formed a partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to facilitate FAD recovery and research around Palmyra Atoll. Industry members of this partnership voluntarily share locations of drifting FADs with TNC, which allows them to be recovered prior to landing on any of Palmyra’s coral reefs. The program also allows for sharing of acoustic data gathered by these buoys, which provides valuable data on species biomass and general ecology of Palmyra for TNC’s research team. This area was largely unstudied due to its remote location and high cost of research, so the partnership with TNC has proven to be a mutually beneficial collaboration for all participants. When FAD recoveries do occur, the ownership of these buoys is typically transferred to new owners who repurpose them for scientific research. The success of this partnership is a building block for our ongoing efforts to expand FAD recovery efforts throughout the Pacific. Updates will be posted throughout the year as this work progresses.
Project ReCon Participant
The Cape Fleet joined Satlink’s Project ReCon effort in 2022, which works with local partners to repurpose buoys that drift outside of the fishing grounds for scientific research and sustainability initiatives. Cape Fisheries agreed to transfer ownership of these buoys free of charge to support these efforts. Among the projects that the buoys are recycled for are small-scale acoustic research, tracking and recovery of marine debris, recycling of the electronic components from the buoy, navigation of small channels, flood prevention, and disaster relief. As the range of local partners grows, we look forward to seeing the benefits that can come from this effort to recycle and reuse our buoys.
ISSF Shark Bycatch Research
Cape Fisheries supports the goal of bycatch mitigation within the tuna industry by hosting scientists onboard their fishing trips. These research trips are an invaluable opportunity for fishermen and scientists to utilize each other’s knowledge and experience while developing safe and effective methods of minimizing damage to non-target species.
In 2013, the Cape Finisterre hosted several scientists for at-sea research. The bulk of the work focused on determining the post-release mortality rates of sharks and testing ways to mitigate impact on their stocks. Lactate samples were taken at various stages of release to determine by which point sharks needed to be released in order to maximize their survival rates. Net dives were also conducted to study the aggregation patterns of species within the nets, with the goal of finding ways to release sharks directly from the net without the need to bring them onboard. The research conducted on this trip provided valuable insight into the purse seine industry’s interaction with sensitive bycatch species, as well as steps that can be taken to minimize impact.
More recently, the Cape Ferrat hosted an ISSF scientist to study the use of a bycatch release chute. This device is essentially a slide that sends bycatch species directly from the hopper (a sorting bin which the crew use to identify and remove bycatch species prior to the tuna entering our fish wells) back into the ocean. The angle of the chute and running water allow non-target species to slide quickly overboard with minimal handling or risk to our crew members.
Fishery Improvement Project Membership
As a member of Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), Cape Fisheries participates in a range of efforts to improve the sustainability and safety of our operations. This work includes research on biodegradable FADs, sharing of catch data, bycatch mitigation, scientific partnerships, training crew on industry best practices, and adherence to MSC standards. The Cape fleet has had continuous membership in a FIP since the organizations were formed in 2016, starting with TUNACONs (FIP) from 2016-2023 and currently with the US Pacific Tuna Group (2024-present).
Seafood Taskforce
Cape Fisheries fully adheres to The Seafood Taskforce (STF) labor standards onboard fishing vessels. The STF is comprised of a group of seafood processors, feed producers, buyers, retailers, government representatives and NGOs who have come together to address issues surrounding labor standards and illegal fishing in seafood supply chains.
MSC Certification
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a non-profit organization promoting sustainable fishing practices. It certifies and labels seafood from fisheries that meet its strict, industry leading sustainability standards. Under multiple certificates, Cape Fisheries provides MSC certified raw material to its customers, providing fully traceable and sustainable skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna for major brands.
Electronic Monitoring Research
In 2019, the Cape Elizabeth hosted two research scientists from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and ISSF to study the potential applications of electronic monitoring (EM) onboard purse seine vessels. The key purpose of the work was to evaluate how EM could be used to either replace or complement the efforts of human observers. An eight-camera video electronic monitoring system (EMS) was installed, and the footage was compared against a series of independent data sources including: (1) records from the two onboard biologists/samplers who joined the fishing trip, (2) data collected by a human observer from a certified Regional Observer Program, (3) the vessel’s self-reported logsheet data, (4) port sampling, and (5) cannery unloading data. These sources were used to verify attributes such as school and set type, fish well holds, tonnage estimates, catch composition, bycatch handling, and length frequency data for target species. The results of the study suggest that EM has strong potential to be used as a complement to human observers, but that the technology is not able to completely replace human observers at this time. This research furthered progress in both fisheries data collection and at-sea monitoring.
