Biodegradable DFADs: Current status and prospects

Until recently, dFAD structure, materials and designs have remained quite rudimentary and virtually the same since their discovery, characterized by the increase of the dimensions and prevailing heavy use of plastic components. Biodegradable materials are called to be an important part of the solution, as they can faster degrade in the environment, free of toxins and heavy metals, reducing their lifespan, and preventing them from accumulating in sensitive areas once they are abandoned, lost or discarded. During last decades, regulatory measures at tRFMOs have advanced in the gradual implementation of biodegradable materials in dFAD constructions together with other measures limiting the number of active dFADs and the use of netting materials. However, more clarity is needed starting with a standardised definition of biodegradable dFADs among tRFMOs, to provide operational guidance. Research with those natural and synthetic materials is required, along with updated data collection for monitoring standards, as well as alternative and complementary actions need to be explored to contribute to minimising dFAD adverse effects on environment. Acknowledging the current difficulties for the implementation of fully biodegradable dFADs a stepwise process towards the implementation of fully biodegradable dFADs should be considered.Postprin

Aggregated outputs by linear models: An application on marine litter beaching prediction

In regression, a predictive model which is able to anticipate the output of a new case is learnt from a set of previous examples. The output or response value of these examples used for model training is known. When learning with aggregated outputs, the examples available for model training are individually unlabeled. Collectively, the aggregated outputs of different subsets of training examples are provided. In this paper, we propose an iterative methodology to learn linear models from this type of data. In spite of being simple, its competitive performance is shown in comparison with a straightforward solution and state-of-the-art techniques. A real world problem is also illustrated which naturally fits the aggregated outputs framework: the estimation of marine litter beaching along the south-east coastline of the Bay of Biscay