Canadian NGO Ocean Wise has begun a new campaign, ‘Invest in the Ocean,’ to protect tuna and other marine life. The organization recently called upon governments and businesses to come forward...
Fishing
WCPO Purse Seine Catch Rate Fell In July
The WCPO purse seine daily catch rate dropped by 37 percent in July compared to the previous month. The tunas were mainly netted in the PNG EEZ, followed by the high seas. Atuna reported...
High Skipjack Volumes Drove PNG Seiner Catches To Five-Year-Peak
Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) purse seine fleet had a good 2024, with catches of all major tropical tuna species, showing a remarkable increase, especially skipjack. The number of vessels operating...
Sapmer Announces Better Results Due To Cost Cutting
French fishing company Sapmer reported sales increased in the first half of 2025, and it made a net profit and not a loss compared to the same period in 2024. Revenue from tuna fishing fell...
WCPO FAD Ban Depressed Purse Seine Skipjack Catches In July
The fishing effort of purse seiners operating in the WCPO decreased by four percent in July compared to the previous month, and so did the volumes captured, primarily due to the WCPO FAD ban....
How Long Will It Take For WTO Fisheries Subsidies Deal To Be Implemented?
Last week, the much-awaited World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force, after 111 members submitted their “instruments of acceptance.” The move was...
Europêche President Will Remain The Voice Of EU Tuna Fishers In Brussels
Javier Garat was recently re-elected as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) for the next five-year term (2025-2030). He is one of the 21 Spanish members who makes up...
IO Skipjack Catches Pick Up But Yellowfin Trading Is A Disaster
Purse seine skipjack catches in the Indian Ocean improved, but their smaller size made the price decrease. Yellowfin was hardly traded in Seychelles as the value was too low for some boat...
Ambitious Ratified UN High Seas Treaty To Enter Into Force In January
A landmark UN treaty to safeguard tuna and other marine life on the high seas entered into force on September 19. The BBNJ Agreement, also called the High Seas Treaty, was ratified after...
Can China’s Farm-Bred Yellowfin Yield Benefits For Operators?
China has begun yellowfin farming in the autonomous county of Lingshui Li in Hainan. The first batch of tuna, which were bred inside the farm, grew into 50 kg fish and were captured last...
Readers: Pacific Island Nations Likely To Take Risks With Deep-Sea Mining
Deep-sea mining continues to be a controversial topic of discussion for countries, with the US supporting it, and many others opposing. Pacific Island nations, such as Papua New Guinea and the...
India Aims “Global Ecolabel” For Its Tuna Fisheries
The Indian government recently stated that it is looking to obtain a “global ecolabel” for the pole-and-line tuna fisheries near Lakshadweep, an Indian archipelago located a few hundred...
WPRFMC Cite Reasons For Urging NOAA To Tighten Tuna Import Control Rules
The US is all set to restrict the import of tuna and other seafood that does not have the NOAA comparability finding. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC)...
Venezuelan Tuna Boats Deploy Cameras Amid Tensions With US
The Venezuelan government is taking tighter measures to ensure that the US does not intervene with the operations of its tuna and other fishing boats. Diosdado Cabello, the Minister of...
Exceptional WCPO Longline Captures Failed To Reflect In Catch Value
The value of WCPO longline catches, comprising yellowfin, bigeye, and albacore, fell by a steep 20 percent in 2024 despite the exceptionally good catches made in this fishery that year. The...
Pacific Fisheries Council Approves Tuna Fishing In Pacific Monument
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) has agreed to allow commercial tuna and other fishing within the four marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean. The...
Venezuela Reaches Out To FAO & International Community Over US “Illegal Action”
The Venezuelan government has filed a complaint against the US with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the “illegal and hostile” interception of Venezuelan tuna longliner...
FAO Meeting Highlighted Topic On Reforming Ecolabelling Practices
Small-scale fishers (SSF) face numerous challenges when it comes to adhering to the current ecolabeling certifications, which eventually prevent them from competing in the global tuna and...
Seatech Tuna Supplying Seiner Catches Fire
Earlier this week, part of a Colombian-flagged purse seiner caught fire when it was moored at the docks of Mamonal-based tuna company Seatech International. The vessel supplied frozen whole...
NOAA Fisheries Could Soon Experience Major Budget Cut
The US House of Representatives wants a deep slash in funding for NOAA Fisheries – at least 40 percent. On September 10, the US House Committee on Appropriations approved its fiscal 2026...