Large scale drift gillnet (referred to as LDG hereafter) and Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) share one aspect in common, that is, both have been criticized due to their highly efficient fishing power with serious bycatch. UN General Assembly banned LDG in the high sea, while FADs operation is not banned . Why no ban of the FADs ? Answer is that many fishing nations enjoy economic benefit by using FADs which assure catching massive amount of tunas. Common use of the FADs by many countries including both developed and developing countries makes a clear contrast with the case of the LDG that was operated by only a few distant water fishing nations. However, it should be borne in mind that the use of FADs, far larger scale than the LDG, is one of major causes for aggravating the bigeye stock in the Pacific, especially because of their catch of large amount of juvenile as bycatch.
