Relationship of Fisheries Aggregating Devices (FADs) and Marine Debris in the Mediterranean Sea

Report on evaluation of the relationship between FADs and marine debris, including principles for best practice to avoid FAD loss, entanglement with marine wildlife, and beaching in corals, mangroves and other aquatic and coastal habitats, and that seek to reduce their contribution to plastic pollution, for consideration by the CMS Scientific Council.

Remote

5 months

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is a global intergovernmental treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of migratory species and their habitats. Numerous additional intergovernmental instruments on migratory species conservation have been adopted under the broad umbrella of CMS, which are supported by the CMS Secretariat. The CMS Secretariat also provides the Secretariat for the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS). In addition, two regional agreements on migratory species adopted under CMS have their own Secretariats which are co-located with the CMS Secretariat in Bonn- the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and the Agreement on the Conservation of European Populations of Bats (EUROBATS). The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. In the present context, UNEP provides the administrative functions for the CMS, AEWA and EUROBATS Secretariats. This post is administered in the CMS Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. The CMS Secretariat is seeking a consultant to compile and analyse available information on the relationship between FADs and marine debris and prepare a concise report with appropriate references and recommendations, as requested in CMS Decisions 14.36 a) and b), using the Mediterranean Sea as a case study. Based on an appropriate search of published sources, the report should provide an overview of the scale of FAD fisheries in the Mediterranean and what is known about the contribution made by FADs to marine debris and the impacts of such debris. In addition, the decision specifically asks for consideration to be given to compliance with existing regulations; it should recommend environmental management and control measures to avoid gear loss and explore ways of improving the environmentally sound retrieval of lost FADs. Under this assignment, and in consultation with the COP-appointed Councillor for Marine Pollution, the consultant will, based on desktop research, develop a report covering: a) Evaluation of the relationship between FADs and marine debris. b) Principles for best practice to avoid FAD loss, entanglement with marine wildlife, and beaching in corals, mangroves and other aquatic and coastal habitats, and that seek to reduce their contribution to plastic pollution. This should include liaison with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), further to their work on improving FAD design, and the relevant fisheries organization. c) Mediterranean Sea as a case study area, looking at FADs as a source of marine debris, to review compliance with existing regulations, to recommend environmental management and control measures to avoid gear loss, and to explore ways of improving the environmentally sound retrieval of lost FADs. Timeline: • Prepare an outline of the report for comment by the Secretariat by 15 April 2025. • Share preliminary draft with the Secretariat for comments by 15 May 2025 (to ensure the work is progressing in the desired direction). • Based on the comments, submit the first draft by 15 June 2025. • Following review of the first draft report by the Secretariat by 1 July, submit a final draft by 15 August 2025. • Assist in potential further revisions based on comments from the CMS Scientific Council.

Post graduate degree in biological or environmental sciences, or in another field relevant to the subject is required. Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience is required. In-depth knowledge of marine conservation, marine debris, FADs, fisheries in the Mediterranean desirable.

Fluency in English and excellent writing skills are required.

Not available.

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