Ministerial level talks between India and Sri Lanka, which have long disputed over tuna fishing, have ended on a positive note. Sri Lanka has agreed to immediately free 51 Indian fishermen...
Fishing
2016’s Top 10 Stories
Last year was a rich year for tuna industry news. We have looked into the stories which gained the most readers on Atuna. Manta Ecuador Hit By Devastating Earthquake The most read story...
Happy New Year!
The Atuna team wishes all our readers a very happy new year with the best wishes for 2017. The new year looks to again become a very interesting one with lots of expected changes, both...
More Vessels To Blame For Ecuador’s SKJ Catch Gap?
As well as the after effects of a strong 2015 El Niño, growth in the EPO-based tuna purse seine fleet for most of this year has been partly blamed for a sharp drop in Ecuador’s skipjack...
EPO Nations Get Extra Vigilant On Foreign Fleets
The governments of Ecuador, Chile and Peru have teamed together to enforce stricter regulation of foreign fishing vessels entering their waters, demanding satellite control from boats that...
Transshipment Ban The Answer To Thai IUU Issues?
There might be one more big step the Thai government needs to take in order to eradicate the yellow card IUU cloud still hanging over the country, and satisfy EU asks, with pressure mounting...
Japanese Firms Back Emergency Catch Cut
A pledge that could eventually lead to big cuts in Japan’s tuna catches has been signed by six tuna firms in the country, and comes following criticism that the nation has not done enough to...
Philippine IUU Vessel Was Only “Passing Through”
The owners of a Philippine vessel seized in November on suspected IUU fishing activities, have claimed the boat was making an “innocent passage” through Palau waters, and was not conducting...
StarKist Seeks MSC To Stay Globally Competitive
StarKist’s application for MSC certification on American Samoa longline catch was pursued with the focus of keeping its Pago Pago plant and supply chain competitive on a global basis. It...
Taiwan Vessel Death Case Reopened
An investigation into the death of an Indonesian fisherman on a Taiwanese tuna longliner last year has been reopened by the Taiwan government branch, Control Yuan. New forensic and video...
Big Fall In EU Raw Material Exports
Marking the lowest volume in the last ten years, the EU’s total external tuna shipments tumbled in the first half of 2016, but managed to sustain a solid overall value. The biggest fall...
The Role Of World’s 5th Smallest Nation In Tuna
The 5th smallest nation in the world, Tokelau, is partly underpinning Samoa’s tuna processing industry, thanks to the sharp rise in its fisheries income, spurred by the PNA Vessel Day...
SKJ Price Inches Up On Slow Supply
Firm demand combined with slow supply in Thailand’s capital has seen the Bangkok skipjack price take another step up, continuing a gradual climb since October. Inching up another two...
Asian DWFNs Blamed For Blocking HCRs
Atuna readers have been clear in their opinion on whether Asian Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs) will always block Harvest Control Rules (HCRs) in the WCPFC, believing in the majority...
Why ISSF Is Putting Money Into Tagging
An ongoing tagging project that was said to be partly carried out by ISSF Scientists, saw over 2,000 tunas tagged in the WCPO. One of the scientists onboard has explained that ISSF’s main...
US Fishermen Demand Answers From Obama
President Obama will visit Honolulu for the first time since expanding the Marine National Monument (MNM), and leading figures from the Hawaiian tuna fishing industry are hopeful that he will...
No Quick-Fix For American Samoa Processors?
The Christmas closure of StarKist Samoa is to be extended beyond the regular period, with limited cold storage space and a poor supply of tuna cited as causing problems. But can this be eased...
PNA’s 5-Year Rocketing Revenue
Thanks to the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) in place in the region, the PNA states that its annual revenue from its joint tuna fishery has witnessed significant growth this year, which moves in line...
“Immediate Enforcement” Needed On Foreign Crew Laws
A letter signed by four Democratic Congressmen has been sent to the US Coast Guard and NOAA, requesting “immediate enforcement action” over accusations that some of Hawaii’s longline fleet is...
ISSF Puts Bulk Of Responsibility On RFMO Shoulders
ISSF has taken the time to see what difference a year has made in terms of tuna management, reviewing the hits and misses of 2016. Although its members are some of the biggest fishers,...