An extension of US fishing grounds in domestic waters around the Pacific islands is being called for by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac), which wants to ease...
Fishing
Cook Islanders Push For Total FAD Ban
The Cook Islands’ government has agreed to establish a 50 nautical mile exclusion zone, which will guard against foreign commercial fishing and seabed mining in part of the nation’s EEZ. It...
Taiwan Prosecutes To Prove Battle Against IUU
Taiwan is illustrating its serious stance against IUU fishing, and with the help of a newly installed monitoring system, is slapping a hefty fine on a domestic-flagged tuna longliner, caught...
FAD & Free-School Mixture Disputed In Echebastar MSC
Initial stakeholder comments published on the pilot MSC assessment of Spanish firm Echesbastar, reveal some very differing opinions on the pursuit for sustainable certification for both...
WTPO: US Fleet Ocean Switching Fully Legit
The switching of US-flagged seiners between the Eastern and Western Pacific is a legitimate way for fleets to ensure their economic survival, and is not an issue in terms of conservation, says...
Sharp Slump In Korean Supply To Bangkok
After nearly doubling its whole round tuna deliveries to Bangkok in 2015, the South Korean fleet hasn’t managed to keep up the full extent of the strength, seeing tonnages slip considerably...
Spanish Fleet Demands Punishment For Law Breakers
The Spanish tuna purse seine fleet is urging RFMOs to take more direct control in order to eradicate IUU fishing. Its representatives argue that many offences go without sanctions, leading to...
Thai Human Traffickers Hit With Long Jail Sentence
Six individuals in Thailand have been sentenced to 14 years in jail for the trafficking of migrant workers, showing that the efforts to eradicate labor abuse and slavery in the Thai fishing...
Strong Free-School Demand Reduces Supply To BKK
A notable slump was seen in deliveries of whole round tuna from several major fleets to Thai packers last year, with US-flagged vessels being a big part of this. One US boatowner states that...
Heavy Fines Deter Pacific IUU Offenders
Major fines and consistent monitoring and surveillance has caused a decline in IUU vessels fishing in the Pacific, states the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA). This is positive news for a region...
Strict Domestic Landing Obligation For Costa Rican Waters
Costa Rican fisheries regulator INCOPESCA will limit permits for vessels fishing for tuna in its EEZ this year; a temporary measure which is part of a new ruling aimed at gaining more control...
US Longliners Denied Access To Own Territory
A year-long legal battle has drawn to an end, with the US Federal Court ruling that large tuna longliners flagged to the United States are not permitted access to American Samoa’s protected...
Seiner Switch Shrinks Bangkok Supply
The cost of fishing in the Western Pacific is still keeping some US seiners in the EPO region, meaning that the competition felt by other major fleets last year, could continue throughout...
PNA’s Tuna Hub Gets Big Expansion
The world’s main tuna transshipment port in the Marshall Islands’ capital of Majuro, has seen the opening of a new dock and net repair facility, which cements the port’s role as a hub for the...
Should Seychelles Fall In Line With IO Catch Reduction?
Threatening non-compliance with a yellowfin catch cut implemented in the Indian Ocean has put attention on the Seychelles’ activity in the region. Officials within the nation’s government do...
Yellowfin Catch Cuts Will Cause “Big Trouble”
Yet to implement measures to make sure its purse seine fleet complies with a yellowfin catch reduction in the Indian Ocean, Seychelles officials are now underlining the economic impact that...
Chinese Vessels Main Offenders In Pacific IUU Sweep
A surveillance sweep conducted to monitor IUU fishing in the Pacific ended last week, and the majority of breaches identified were from Chinese-flagged vessels, which included not using a...
“Ineffective Management A Threat To Pacific Fisheries”
More needs to be done to ensure the sustainability of Pacific fisheries, to guarantee maintainable stocks and food safety in the region. These were arguments given at The Pacific Community’s...
TU Faces Pet Food Supply Pressure
Pet food giants Mars and Nestlé have committed to take action against transshipment at sea, and their announcements have led to more pressure being put on Thai Union, one of their main...
MSC Wants More Credible FIPs
With MSC looking to use stakeholder feedback to reshape the way that Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) are governed, there is the suggestion that things aren’t working as they should. The...