Chinese officials have promised to limit the country’s tuna fleet to 2016 levels, just before members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) plan to discuss, and possibly eliminate, government...
Fishing
Atlantic FIP Launches 6 Months After Signing
A Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) covering purse seine operations in the Eastern Atlantic, signed by major European fleet operators and Thai Union, has now launched around half a year...
Poor Landings Cause 15% SKJ Price Rise In Japan
Skipjack landings in Japan have been reported as 40 percent lower from September through November, compared to the same period last year. The shortage in supply has caused the average...
Australia Considers Opening EEZ To Foreign Vessels
The Australian government is considering opening remote waters off the Australian coast to foreign vessels, a suggestion that is reportedly also being pushed for by the tuna industry. A...
Locked-Out NGOs Say New WCPFC Rules Put Bigeye At Risk
Several environmental groups have aired their disappointment with the decisions made at the recently concluded WCPFC meeting in Manila, especially in relation to bigeye catch limits, as they...
“Mexican Marine Reserve Will Increase Tuna Stock”
A marine ecologist from the NGO, National Geographic has claimed tuna firms will benefit from the large recently established no take zone (NTZ) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This has however...
US Seiners Get Extra High Seas Days To Boost StarKist Supply
The US purse seine fleet has been granted an extra 100 fishing days in WCPO high seas pockets for 2018. The expectation is that this will lead to more raw material being landed in American...
EPO Underdog Achieves Impressive Surge In Skipjack Catch
The Nicaraguan purse seine fleet has significantly improved its tuna catch as this year’s landings show its prominence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean has grown. This increase comes despite the...
2 Biggest IO Fleets Out Of Action, But Canners Stocked Up
The Seychelles flagged purse seine fleet has been non-operational for a week already, meaning the largest two IO players are now out of action, as Spanish seiners already tied up in November....
WCPFC All-Nighter Backtracks On Bigeye Conservation
Running until the early hours of the morning, the contentious WCPFC meeting ended with weaker conservation measures for key tuna species, with bigeye catch limits taking a hike. A recent stock...
Pressure Mounts On WTO To “Eliminate Harmful Fisheries Subsidies”
A call has been made for members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to stop fishery subsidies as they cause “environmental harm and trade distortions”, WWF International argues. Some member...
Scientist Sides With Industry; Criticizes Mexican No Catch Zone
North America’s largest marine reserve, established by the Mexican government, has received mixed reactions from both industry members and scientists. As the protected area now prohibits any...
Kiribati: We Need FADs To Survive
The use of FADs in the purse seine fishery is high up on the agenda at the ongoing WCPFC meeting, with some groups calling for the use of these devices to be reduced. If such stricter measures...
PNA Threatens To Leave WCPFC
The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) has threatened to withdraw from the WCPFC if distant water fishing nations (DWFNs) fail this time around to agree on new rules for the major tuna...
IUU Blue Boats Threaten Vietnam’s Status Within WCPFC
A WCPFC member state has warned the Vietnamese tuna industry that the country’s status as a cooperating non-member (CNM) of the Commission could be at risk if its infamous blue boats continue...
Fiji Wants To Test Albacore Fishing In PNA EEZs
Fiji has requested the chance to conduct trial tuna fishing operations in the EEZs of Kiribati and Tuvalu, noting that it has seen a decrease in tuna stocks, specifically albacore, within its...
Calvo’s New Supplier Code Of Conduct, Clear Enough?
Grupo Calvo has released its new Code of Conduct for Suppliers which outlines the ethical and responsible business standards the firm expects from companies from which it sources its tuna. The...
MSC Meets With On The Hook & UK Parliament Members
The MSC met with On The Hook (OTH) campaigners and UK Members of Parliament (MPs) this week to discuss criticism that they have targeted towards its sustainability standard. MSC CEO, Rupert...
Japan Flips Its Stance On Observer Safety
Last year’s WCPFC agreement to implement new safety measures for observers went without the support of major distant water fishing nation Japan. Ahead of this year’s meeting however, the...
FIPs: A Meaningful Contribution To Sustainability?
As Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) become a bigger force in the tuna industry landscape, their contribution to sustainability is something that will obviously be questioned. Simon Bush,...