A Marine Stewardship Council video on making controversial FAD fishing sustainable
When Kepa Echevarria set out to transform his tuna fishery into one that was certified as sustainable, he thought it was the just and obvious thing to do for the planet and the future of his business. ‘Being sustainable is a decision … but to do it is the only way,’ says Echevarria, CEO of family-owned Spanish fishery, Echebastar.
Little did he know that he and his fishery would spend 12 years on one of the hardest journeys of his life, innovating and reshaping his fishery before it could be classed as sustainable.
This video tells the story of Echevarria’s journey, one that many thought wouldn’t be possible. What made the quest particularly arduous was the fishery’s use of drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) to target their catch.
FADs take advantage of the natural phenomenon of small marine life being attracted to floating objects, which in turn attract target species such as tuna. However, as the film shows, artificial FADs can be destructive because, historically, non-biodegradable materials have been used. Furthermore, as well as tuna, FADs can attract endangered, threatened, and protected species such as sharks, turtles, and rays.
However, Echebastar demonstrated that if done properly, large-scale FAD fisheries can minimise impacts and be sustainable. It has become a trailblazer and incentivised change. The film shows that, at a time when fish stocks are under pressure from overfishing, not committing to sustainability is a decision the planet cannot afford to make.
This film has been entered in the MPB Geographical Better World Video Awards. See all the entries and the winners.
