Last week, Somali pirates, who have been on a rampage lately, attempted to attack the super seiner ‘Intertuna Tres.’ On November 2, the crew of the tuna vessel spotted a speedboat approaching them from a mothership, believed to be the Iranian-flagged ‘Issa Mohamadi’, which was hijacked by the pirates last month. Security forces onboard ‘Intertuna Tres’ immediately fired shots at the pirates’ speedboat, after which they returned to the mothership, reported new sites. The crew members were reportedly unharmed. ‘Intertuna Tres’ is a 101-meter-long Seychelles-flagged vessel owned by Mahe-based Interatun L.T.D., part of the Albacora Group, and operates in the IOTC convention area.

Piracy activity off the coast of Somalia has flared sharply since late October. Last week, a Spanish frigate (small warship) freed a Maltese merchant boat that was seized by Somali pirates. The frigate operated under Operation Atalanta, an ongoing EU-helmed counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean.

The Lo-Boy brand’s ‘Tuna Deluxe Salad’ was recently recalled by Made Fresh Salads Inc. based in Bay Shore, US, due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Containers with ‘Macaroni Salad’ were also recalled from retail stores in New York for the same reason. No illnesses have been reported in connection with these salads. The contamination was discovered during routine sampling conducted by the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets. Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of Listeria in some 5-pound (2,268 grams) containers of Lo-Boy Macaroni Salad and Tuna Deluxe Salad, prompting an immediate suspension of production.

Listeria can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections, particularly in young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Contaminated food may appear normal but can still pose a health risk. Anyone who has consumed the recalled salads should watch for symptoms, such as high temperature, pain, chills, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. It can take up to 70 days before these symptoms appear, and authorities recommend consumers seek medical attention.

Ecuadorian tuna and seafood fishermen came together last week for the three-day ‘Fishing for Plastic’ initiative, whereby they collected nearly 20,000 kg of plastic in the Gulf of Guayaquil. The fishers took a boat to mangroves and estuaries in this area to collect the waste, mostly bottles, in a bid to reduce the rampant plastic pollution in the region.

Guillermo Morán, Executive Director of TUNACONS, said that the plastic waste does not come only from Guayaquil, but floats from other parts of the ocean as well. He added that a project to clean it up was the need of the hour. The Ministry of Fisheries took to X to laud the initiative, stating that local authorities, private companies, and NGOs participated in the second edition of the initiative for the conservation of coastal ecosystems. They worked together to reduce marine pollution by collecting single-use plastics while engaging artisanal fishermen through education and active participation to promote clean seas and sustainable fishing. The Municipality of Guayaquil also appreciated the efforts of the participants and took to its social media to share a video of the three-day activity.