Abstract

Moored Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) have been promoted in Dominica since the 1990s to help address management concerns of declining pelagic catches and heavy fishing pressure on the inshore demersal reef resources. However. their effectiveness has never been fully explored. In this study an assessment of 20 years of Government fishery catch and effort data (1994 - 2014) reveals a dramatic increase in the capture of offshore pelagic species. and an increase in fishing efficiency as catch per fishing trip. However. there has been no change in the catch or fishing effort in the inshore reef-associated fishery. As such. the introduction of FAD fishing in Dominica’s small scale fisheries has been highly successful in meeting one objective of increasing overall fishery production. but has failed to alleviate fishing pressure on inshore reef species. Further study is needed to better understand the factors that continue to incentivize fishers to target demersal species. in order to understand how this fishery could be effectively managed in the future to reduce the fishing pressure and ensure sustainability of the reef resources.

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