The PNA has noted mixed opinions on the outcomes of the recent WCPFC annual meeting, which took place in December 2017, and says the most disappointing result is the revision of the tropical...
Fishing
TU: All Suppliers Must Sign New Vessel Code Of Conduct
Thai Union will now require all vessels it sources from, including a large number of tuna boats, to live up to the standards of a new Vessel Code of Conduct (VCoC) and implement a Vessel...
Maldives P&L Withdraws Yellowfin MSC Certificate
The Maldives pole and line fishery has officially withdrawn its yellowfin MSC certificate, which was suspended in 2016. The move means that there is no attempt to regain the sustainable...
Crew Given Hefty Fines For Misreporting Bluefin Catch
The captain and operator of a Portuguese longliner that attempted to pass off illegal bluefin catch as bigeye earlier this year have been given substantial penalties by the courts. Vila...
China Takes Action Against Illegal Vessels In EPO
Chinese fisheries authorities have launched a pilot inspection project for the nation’s own-flagged vessels fishing in the waters of Ecuador and Peru. The Ecuadorian tuna sector has expressed...
US Seiners Continue To Ocean Switch, Practice Here To Stay?
Last year, several US seiners were known to partake in the legitimate practice of “ocean switching”. Registered to both the WCPFC and IATTC, there was one company in particular that was...
Poor Bigeye Supply Causes Drop In Japan’s Sashimi Stock
This year’s supply of tuna sashimi in Japan, the most popular form of tuna in the country, is predicted to sink to the lowest volumes since 2011. A decline in bigeye catches by Japanese...
Thai Govt. Aids Fishermen After Yellow Card Impacts
The Thai government is reaching out with new relief measures to support fishermen who have been affected by recent changes in their industry, which have been introduced as part of efforts...
High Seas FAD Ban Hits US Fleet’s Thai Deliveries
Deliveries of whole round tuna to Bangkok from the US flagged purse seine fleet have dropped notably compared to last year, despite earlier in 2017 showing much stronger landings from these...
Ecuadorian Vessel Found With Illegal Catch In Galapagos
An Ecuadorian fishing vessel was discovered with illegally caught albacore tuna onboard, as well as sharks, in the no fishing zone within the waters of Galapagos Islands, a territory of...
Iron Lady Wants Money Laundering Charges Imposed On IUU Offenders
The Indonesian government has requested the United Nations to allow global governments to pursue money-laundering charges against IUU perpetrators. Known as taking a strict stance on illegal...
The Massive Worldwide OPAGAC FIP Beats Expectations
One year after Spanish purse seine vessel representative OPAGAC launched its “Global Tuna FIP”, a Fishery Improvement Project spanning three oceans and three tuna stocks, the organization...
20-Crew Longliner Crash Damages Coral Reef, Assessment Ongoing
Investigations into the damage caused by a tuna longliner that ran aground in Honolulu, Hawaii are still ongoing after the vessel crashed into a reef off the shore of Waikiki. The ship was...
2nd Japanese P&L Fishery Aims For MSC
A Japanese pole and line fishery has entered into MSC assessment for its skipjack and albacore catch in the Northwest and Western Central Pacific. The goal is to be approved for certification...
MSC: IO SKJ Situation Will Not Obstruct New Certifications
The decline in stock identified for Indian Ocean skipjack tuna is expected to have no negative impact on current MSC certified tuna fisheries in the region, despite similar, more dramatic news...
Cook Islands Govt. Wins Legal Case Over Purse Seine Fishery
The Cook Islands government has won a case in which it was accused of acting unlawfully when deciding to develop the purse seine tuna fishery in its EEZ between 2013 and 2016. Several of the...
Korean Catch Record: The Absolute Peak?
The South Korean purse seine fleet considerably bolstered its tuna catch in the WCPO last year. As one of the main distant water fishing nations operating in the region, the volume boost...
Confirmed: IOTC Limits 2018 Skipjack Catch
The IOTC has confirmed that for the first time ever a skipjack tuna catch limit will come into play starting in 2018, following an assessment that showed decline in stock abundance. Important...
Australians To Educate Blue Boat Owners About IUU Consequences
With Vietnam’s blue boats continuing to make appearances in Australia’s EEZ, Australia has decided to help the Asian nation tackle its IUU fishing issues. The countries plan to launch a...
Worry Over Lack Of Action On Observer Safety
As the latest annual WCPFC meeting ended without any new observer safety measures implemented, a board member from an observers association has shown concern at the lack of action taken. The...