Sailfish sail, Costa Rica

These images, which include an encounter with a huge whaleshark were taken far offshore off Costa Rica close to an illegal fishing device (FAD). This Fish Aggregation Device was a raftlike structure manufactured to attract as much sealife as possible, but mainly spawning tuna.

 

Purse sein fisheries scoop up all life that has accumulated around the raft with their massive nets. Any bycatch from small fish to this huge whaleshark, dolphins and even seaturtles are killed in the process. That is why these FAD's are illegal.

 

They are however used widely in the pacific to feed our tuna riddled dishes..

 

Done