The US fleet’s WCPO fishing possibilities have become increasingly restricted, at a time when it’s deliveries to Thailand have already been dwindling. As of later this week, the nation’s tuna...
Fishing
Irish Trawlers Detained For Illegal Tuna Catch
Two Irish flagged trawlers were held for 24 hours for alleged illegal fishing when they unloaded their Bonito del Norte (Atlantic albacore) catches in the port of Galicia, Spain. Sparkling...
Kiribati’s Short-Lived Bangkok Surge
After delivering surging volumes to Thai canners last year, Kiribati’s tuna landings have taken a sharp tumble back down, having dropped 18 percent YoY. In the first half of 2016,...
Pacific-Wide Fishing Ban Edging Closer?
An earlier proposal from Japan to initiate a fishing ban, or limit the number of Pacific bluefin tuna caught in the WCPO, has gained support from member nations of the WCPFC at a recent...
MSC-Hopeful Mexican Group Unites With ISSF
In a move focused on a number of science-based priorities for the tuna sector, the group encompassing the Mexican purse seine fishery’s MSC venture has joined hands with the ISSF. Announced...
Indonesian Canneries Need More Imported Tuna
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN) wants to boost the country’s tuna imports to meet industrial demand, as part of its aspirations to make Indonesia the front running country in the...
FAD Ban Drives WCPO Fishing Shift
As the FAD closure period in the WCPO continues to run its course, seiners in the region are shifting the location of their operations, moving to more northern and eastern zones, according to...
NZ Navy Discovers Big Tuna Fishing Breach
A large proportion of tuna fishing vessels boarded in the Pacific Ocean have been found to be breaking the law, according to a New Zealand Navy operation. Crew from HMNZS Wellington, together...
More Regular Skipjack Supply From EPO?
Ecuadorian officials have already stated that an extension of the EPO purse seine tuna fishing ban is not feasible for the Ecuadorian fleet, and it has now been suggested that tuna catch...
Biggest No Catch Zone In History
The Hawaiian national marine monument, Papahānaumokuākea, has been expanded to 1.5 million square km, creating the world’s largest Marine Protected Area (MPA), to the disappointment of the...
US Seiners Told To Leave High Seas
September 2nd is the date now marked for when the US tuna purse seine fleet will lose access to WCPO high seas area for the rest of the year. As stated in the US Federal Register this week,...
WTPO Opposes Giving FAD Data On Real Time Basis
At the start of the year the PNA initiated FAD-tracking trials, with the aim of pulling together combined data from thousands of FAD buoys, and real time catch reports from seiners. But with...
Readers Undecided On Effect Of FAD Charging
Last week the Atuna homepage poll asked readers their opinion on: Is FAD charging an effective way to stimulate free school fishing? After being launched at the start of the year, the PNA made...
STANDPOINT: Indonesia’s Catch Reporting Inaccurate?
The reliability of Indonesia’s reported catch data has been questioned in numerous reports which have cast doubt over the transparency and accuracy of the numbers, leading to efforts to...
The Autonomous Port Of Abidjan
With this year’s African Tuna Conference taking place in Ivory Coast, we visit the Autonomous Port of Abidjan, the hub of the African tuna industry. With around 250,000 tons of tuna passing...
Pole & Line Industry Wants Seiners Banned
Following declining regional catches in the waters of Portuguese Azores, which is being blamed on the influx of foreign tuna purse seiners, local government has now lobbied central government...
Korea Keeps Up Rocketing Thai Deliveries
After nearly doubling its whole round tuna deliveries to Bangkok last year, the Korean fleet is keeping up the pace, boasting more than 40,000 tons in Thai landings for the first half of 2016....
Vessels Adapt To New Spanish Standards
Tuna fishing vessels are taking action in order to comply with the new best tuna fishing practice standards set by the Spanish government. The Panama flagged purse seiner Jane IV has been...
Extreme Fluctuations In Indonesia’s Catch
Indonesia has long reported the highest annual tuna catches globally, and despite severe fluctuation in its WCPO volumes, shows substantial growth overall in the region in the last 15 years....
The Rapid Expansion Of Pacific Islands’ Own Fleet
Purse seiners flagged to Pacific island nations have grown consistently in their numbers since 2008, and rose to another record high last year, the latest figures reveal. At the biggest total...