{"id":41416,"date":"2025-05-21T09:14:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T07:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.azti.es\/nuevas-tecnologias-a-bordo-para-liberar-tiburones-y-rayas\/"},"modified":"2025-05-21T09:23:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T07:23:41","slug":"azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/","title":{"rendered":"AZTI and the Spanish Tuna Fleet Roll Out New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul><li>A joint effort by AZTI, ANABAC and OPAGAC has led to the development of cutting-edge devices that make it safer and easier to release accidentally caught sharks and rays, boosting crew safety and survival rates.<\/li><li>The tools reflect the Spanish tuna fleet\u2019s firm commitment to sustainability, building on the Code of Good Practices adopted in 2012.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sukarrieta, 21 May 2025 <\/strong>\u2013 New <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azti.es\/en\/research-areas\/sustainable-fisheries-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">onboard technologies<\/a> developed by AZTI, in partnership with Spanish tuna industry groups OPAGAC and ANABAC, have proven effective in improving the safe and efficient release of vulnerable elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) accidentally caught in tropical tuna purse seine fisheries. The results, just published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, have been highlighted as the \u201cEditor\u2019s Choice\u201d: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/icesjms\/fsaf057\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/icesjms\/fsaf057<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The technologies\u2014known as <strong>Bycatch Release Devices (BRDs)<\/strong>\u2014include release ramps, stretchers, velcro leashes, hoppers, lower-deck chutes, and sorting grids for mobulid rays. These tools allow crew to release animals swiftly and with minimal handling, reducing risk to fishers and significantly improving the likelihood of survival after release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA quick release is essential to give these species a real chance of survival. But handling large sharks or mobulid rays can be tricky and dangerous,\u201d said Jefferson Murua, AZTI researcher and lead author of the study. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve worked closely with fishers throughout\u2014from design to sea trials\u2014to develop solutions that are both practical and safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The BRDs were developed in close collaboration with captains and crews from the Spanish freezer tuna fleet, represented by ANABAC and OPAGAC. The industry\u2019s involvement from the outset has been key to ensuring buy-in and voluntary uptake, and many of the devices are already being used on working vessels in tropical oceans worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"advanced-video animation animation-progresive animation-fade-in video-modal-block\" data-source=\"youtube\" data-code=\"zgE_eQVetBI\" data-file=\"\">\n    <div class=\"advanced-video-cover\">\n        \n                        <picture class=\"image fullsize has-parallax-zoom\">\n                                    <source media=\"(min-width: 1801px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Cofigo-de-buenas-practicas-barcos-atuneros-cerqueros.jpg\"\/>\n                    <source media=\"(min-width: 1201px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Cofigo-de-buenas-practicas-barcos-atuneros-cerqueros.jpg\"\/>\n                                <source media=\"(min-width: 993px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Cofigo-de-buenas-practicas-barcos-atuneros-cerqueros.jpg\"\/>    \n                <source media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Cofigo-de-buenas-practicas-barcos-atuneros-cerqueros.jpg\"\/>\n                <source media=\"(min-width: 451px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Cofigo-de-buenas-practicas-barcos-atuneros-cerqueros-768x482.jpg\"\/>\n                <source media=\"(min-width: 0)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Cofigo-de-buenas-practicas-barcos-atuneros-cerqueros-450x282.jpg\"\/>\n                                    <img class=\"animation animation-parallax-zoom\" src=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Cofigo-de-buenas-practicas-barcos-atuneros-cerqueros.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Cofigo-de-buenas-practicas-barcos-atuneros-cerqueros.jpg\" alt=\"Pesca sostenible\" title=\"C\u00f3figo de buenas pr\u00e1cticas barcos atuneros cerqueros\"\/>\n                            <\/picture>\n            \n        <button onclick=\"gtag('event', 'Visualizacion', {'event_category' : 'Video','event_label' : '32204'});\" class=\"advanced-video-dialog-toggle toggle-video-modal\">\n            <svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M8 5v14l11-7z\"\/><path d=\"M0 0h24v24H0z\" fill=\"none\"\/><\/svg>\n        <\/button>\n        <!-- <div class=\"advanced-video-backdrop\"><\/div>\n        <div class=\"advanced-video-dialog\">\n                            <div class=\"yt-video\" data-code=\"zgE_eQVetBI\"><\/div>\n                    <\/div> -->\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2><strong><strong>A Long-Term Commitment to Sustainable Fishing<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Spanish freezer tuna fleet has long been recognised for its responsible fishing practices. Back in 2012, OPAGAC and ANABAC voluntarily introduced a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azti.es\/atuneroscongeladores\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Code of Good Practices<\/a><\/strong>, which transformed day-to-day operations. Key measures include exclusive use of non-entangling FADs, ongoing onboard training, 100% observer coverage (physical or electronic), and best-practice protocols for releasing sharks, turtles, and rays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AZTI has served as the fleet\u2019s independent scientific advisor, overseeing compliance and supporting continuous improvements, helping the fleet move towards more selective, low-impact fishing methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese new BRDs are a natural next step in the fleet\u2019s sustainability journey. They are practical tools that make it easier to stick to the high standards the fleet has already committed to,\u201d Murua added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study also notes that several <strong>Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs)<\/strong> are beginning to endorse the use of these devices, which could help drive wider uptake across global purse seine fleets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Funding for the research<\/strong> came from the Basque Government, the European Union (European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, Next Generation EU), Spain\u2019s General Secretariat for Fisheries, and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read the full article here:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/icesjms\/fsaf057\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/icesjms\/fsaf057<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A joint effort by AZTI, ANABAC and OPAGAC has led to the development of cutting-edge devices that make it safer and easier to release accidentally caught sharks and rays, boosting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":[],"_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"tax-big-challenge":[42,36],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.4.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"AZTI, ANABAC and OPAGAC has led to the development of cutting-edge devices that make it safer and easier to release accidentally caught sharks and rays\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"AZTI, ANABAC and OPAGAC has led to the development of cutting-edge devices that make it safer and easier to release accidentally caught sharks and rays\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AZTI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-21T07:14:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-21T07:23:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sorting_grid_Mantaray_Albacora.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Irantzu Zubiaur\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/\",\"name\":\"AZTI\",\"description\":\"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Marina y Alimentaria\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sorting_grid_Mantaray_Albacora.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sorting_grid_Mantaray_Albacora.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Sorting_grid_Mantaray_Albacora\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/\",\"name\":\"New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-21T07:14:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-21T07:23:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#\/schema\/person\/30eefd05fc72f0713921c022db300e43\"},\"description\":\"AZTI, ANABAC and OPAGAC has led to the development of cutting-edge devices that make it safer and easier to release accidentally caught sharks and rays\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Inicio\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"AZTI and the Spanish Tuna Fleet Roll Out New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#\/schema\/person\/30eefd05fc72f0713921c022db300e43\",\"name\":\"Irantzu Zubiaur\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0ca8e5396f45225b8efed7875b3df8ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0ca8e5396f45225b8efed7875b3df8ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Irantzu Zubiaur\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/author\/irantzu\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays","description":"AZTI, ANABAC and OPAGAC has led to the development of cutting-edge devices that make it safer and easier to release accidentally caught sharks and rays","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays","og_description":"AZTI, ANABAC and OPAGAC has led to the development of cutting-edge devices that make it safer and easier to release accidentally caught sharks and rays","og_url":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/","og_site_name":"AZTI","article_published_time":"2025-05-21T07:14:23+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-21T07:23:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sorting_grid_Mantaray_Albacora.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Irantzu Zubiaur","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#website","url":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/","name":"AZTI","description":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Marina y Alimentaria","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sorting_grid_Mantaray_Albacora.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sorting_grid_Mantaray_Albacora.jpg","width":800,"height":600,"caption":"Sorting_grid_Mantaray_Albacora"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/","name":"New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2025-05-21T07:14:23+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-21T07:23:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#\/schema\/person\/30eefd05fc72f0713921c022db300e43"},"description":"AZTI, ANABAC and OPAGAC has led to the development of cutting-edge devices that make it safer and easier to release accidentally caught sharks and rays","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/azti-and-the-spanish-tuna-fleet-roll-out-new-onboard-tech-to-improve-safe-release-of-sharks-and-rays\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Inicio","item":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"AZTI and the Spanish Tuna Fleet Roll Out New Onboard Tech to Improve Safe Release of Sharks and Rays"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#\/schema\/person\/30eefd05fc72f0713921c022db300e43","name":"Irantzu Zubiaur","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0ca8e5396f45225b8efed7875b3df8ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0ca8e5396f45225b8efed7875b3df8ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Irantzu Zubiaur"},"url":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/author\/irantzu\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41416"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41416"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41418,"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41416\/revisions\/41418"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41416"},{"taxonomy":"tax-big-challenge","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/old.azti.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax-big-challenge?post=41416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}