The Seychelles government is looking to implement a Bycatch Management Policy, which would more strongly regulate the landing of bycatch species caught by tuna purse seiners. An Indian Ocean...
Fishing
Japanese Group Wants RFMOs To Get Stricter On IMO Numbers
A Japanese NGO has called for all tuna RFMOs to require vessels, including those with a gross tonnage that is below 100, to have unique vessel identification numbers, which can now be issued...
Increased Free-School Supply A Threat To P&L Demand?
Purse seiners are delivering increased volumes of free-school catch to Bangkok and thus more tuna caught using this method is available to canners and ultimately the market. We want to know...
Most Think Non-Entangling FADs Won’t Reduce Shark Deaths
More than half of industry members believe non-entangling FADs will not reduce shark mortality on a large scale, according to our recent poll. This is despite the concept, first introduced by...
WCPFC Compliance Scheme A ‘Burden’ For Small Island Nations
A Compliance Monitoring Scheme (CMS) under the WCPFC has been argued as placing “disproportionate burden” on small island nations. The scheme, which includes all WCPFC members, ranging from...
South Korean Seiners Switch Up EEZ Operations In WCPO
During the first quarter of 2018, the South Korean fleet continued to show its strong presence in the WCPO as one of the main distant water fishing nation’s operating in these tuna-rich...
Algerian-Flagged “Tuna Longliner” Missing Off Tunisian Coast
A vessel described as a “tuna longliner” has been reported as missing following its failure to return to port. The vessel is said to have issued its last signal just less than 10 days ago and...
Experts To Study Bluefin Return To UK Waters
The THUNNUS UK project has been launched to provide a baseline understanding of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the waters of the British Isles. UK-based University of Exeter, one of the...
Major Chinese Player Adds 7 Seiners To IO Operations
The Chinese tuna fishing company, Pingtan Marine Enterprise, has announced seven of its “light luring” purse seine vessels have been given the go-ahead to fish in international waters of the...
Thailand Too Optimistic Over EU’s IUU Inspection?
The Thai government is presented in several press reports coming out of Bangkok, as being extremely optimistic on its IUU reform, expecting a possible return to green card status after an...
“Most Wanted” IUU Vessel Caught In Indonesia
One of the world’s most notorious illegal fishing vessels has been captured by the Indonesian navy after a three week chase in the Indian Ocean. While there are no reports of unlawful tuna...
Dongwon’s Turnaround On Marketing FAD-Free
South Korean Dongwon Industries, owner of US brand StarKist, shows a potential major shift in its attitude towards FAD-free tuna with its recent entrance into MSC assessment. For over the past...
Longline VDS Continues To Present Challenges For PNA
For over five years, the PNA has been trying to officially implement the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) for tuna longliners fishing in the parties’ EEZs. Although the way the longline fleet operates...
WCPO One-Stop Data Source: Is It Useful?
The new “one-stop source” for tuna fisheries data related to the Western Pacific region offers insight into a number of areas, ranging from fish stocks to economics. Rather than giving its own...
Vietnamese ‘Deckhand’ Saves Captain From Sinking US Longliner
A Vietnamese deckhand was working aboard a US-flagged tuna longliner when it was reportedly struck by two rogue waves causing the vessel to sink. The worker however has been said to have saved...
“Big Jump” In Majuro Tuna Transshipments
March was a busy month for purse seine tuna transshipments in the WCPO hub of Majuro, Marshall Islands, with traffic picking up considerably from the first two months of the year. Still,...
ISSF Launches Interactive Tool For RFMO Stock Ratings
A new interactive tool that enables users to easily discover the health of tuna stocks in the different ocean areas has been launched by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation...
Poor Fishing Drives Indian Ocean Prices Up
Prices concluded on frozen whole round yellowfin and skipjack in the Indian Ocean hub of the Seychelles have both climbed substantially, after hitting a low point in February this year. A...
MSC In Sight For French Polynesian Longliners
Another tuna fishery is nearing MSC approval, as the catch of albacore and yellowfin from French Polynesian longliners has been recommended for the sustainable certification. A final stage of...
UN Commends Thai Tuna Processors In Tackling Labor Issues
Following a visit to Thailand, the United Nations has commended the government’s progress in human rights and forced labor abuses with the tuna processing sector singled out for contributing...