This is a summary of the experience of TUNACONS testing FADs with biodegradable material and with vegetable fiber being used for its floating and hanging part.
On September 25 of 2017 A FAD with abaca fiber and 2 tails of 10 meters each was deployed.
The first monitoring was done on October 17 of 2017. At that time the FAD had 22 days deployed and the canes and balsa stick on the floating part were found in good condition as well as the mooring line was presenting inlays.
In the Hanging part, the fabric also had inlays, the ropes were in good condition and still had the stones as ballast.
The second monitoring was after 37 days from deployment on the first of November of 2017.
Both, the structure and the hanging part, were in good condition, they had stones and a few inlays.
When the FAD had 52 days at the sea, the third monitoring was carried out on November 16, 2017. The FAD still presented inlays and was still in good condition.
A fourth monitoring of the FAD was carried out and the conditions had changed.
In the floating part: the canes were in good condition, the rope and balsa sticks were firm and with inlays, but the fabric that covered the structure with algae and inlays was already deteriorated.
In the hanging part or tail: The fabric did not resist attached to the base, It had no tails, the ballast had been lost and the ropes were in poor condition.
With the Technical University of the North, in Ibarra, the abaca fiber was analyzed and the conclusions were as follow:
After 67 days at the sea, the abaca fabric lost 94% resistance, because:
Before the deployment Abacá had 259.51 Kgf
And in the fourth monitoring its breaking strength had dropped to 13.81 Kgf
Among the materials tested by the FIP of Tunacons, the abaca fabric had greater resistance to salt water and for this reason the Technical University of the North in Ecuador suggested applying a process to the fiber for protection in the alkaline medium, since previously raw fiber had been used without any processing. They proposed to give it a special treatment with the projection of extending the useful life of the material.
Two different treatments were applied on the abaca fiber And also to the cabuya fiber, so that they could be tested at the same time.
The first treatment includes Reactant Resin and silicone microemulsion.
The second treatment includes Reactant Resin, silicone and antibacterial microemulsion.
The third treatment was only for the tissue of cabuya and has acrylic Polymer self-crosslinker and antibacterial.
In this deployment of samples we also test the resistance of paraffin cotton braided and with lint.
The images that are shown here are of the fabrics with treatment after 31 days at sea.
The companies that are part of the project have expressed their strong and determined commitment to the sustainable development of tuna population and to adopting and supporting the best strategies for the conservation and their ecosystems.
TUNACONS Actively participates in actions that lead the fishery to an ideal state in favor of the conservation of the species.