After the closure of the fishing season in July due to overrunning the expected catch numbers, the exact remaining Atlantic bigeye quota was set at 2,226.8 M/T, as published in the Spanish Offical State Gazette. Purse seiners – bigeye is mainly their bycatch – are allowed to catch 25 percent. Pole-and-liners and other small vessels which financially depend on bigeye catch can fish 75 percent of the quota.

General Fisheries Secretariat shared that the total quota of bigeye for 2019 was set at 8,941.3 M/T becuase of the excess catch of 2018. Up to July 28, 6704.4 M/T was already scooped out of the ocean by Spanish-flagged vessels.

The Seafood Expo Asia 2019 which was to take place in Hong Kong was canceled due to the ongoing social unrest in the state. Diversified Communications, the company that operates the event, made the decision stating that the current situation would impact travel and logistics for speakers and visitors. According to them, the show annually features over 200 exhibiting companies from more than 30 countries and visitors from 68 countries.

In Hong Kong, protests against an extradition bill proposed by the Chinese government have been taking place since last March. The bill would allow local authorities to detain and deport those who are wanted in territories that Hong Kong does not have extradition agreements with, including China and Taiwan. 

EU and the Seychelles are getting ready for the next round of discussions on an essential fishing deal, which will take place in two weeks in Brussels, Belgium. Yesterday, the first round of negotiations for the renewal of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and Protocol concluded. The two articles allow EU vessels to fish in the waters of the island nation, for which Seychelles will be compensated. 

Seychelle’s Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Charles Bastienne, said the sustainability of resources is a key point on the table. Both parties will continue their talks on the issues of FADs and local seamen in Brussels. They will also take into account the Marine Spatial Plan, under which Seychelles has pledged 30 percent of its EEZ for conservation.