Harvest strategies, climate resilience, electronic monitoring, and dFAD ban in the EPO will be topics at the IATTC meeting starting today in Panama. NGOs had put forward position statements...
Fishing
Major Global Highlights August 2025
Trade in Bangkok was hit with uncertainties looming around the US President Donald Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs that were announced August 1 and came into effect within a week. Low...
FCF IO Albacore Longline Fishery MSC Certified But Vessels Missing In RFMO List
Last week, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified the Indian Ocean longline albacore fishery and the Mauritius EEZ longline albacore fishery, together called the consolidated IO...
IATTC Staff Says EPO Fishing Closure Can Be Reduced But Urges Cautionary Approach
The annual IATTC meeting begins next Monday, and the RFMO staff have given several recommendations (via a report) for the Commission to consider during the week-long gathering. A major point...
NOAA Says PCR Tool Test Helps Combat Seafood Fraud
NOAA completed the second deployment of a rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device, which detected the false labeling of imported tuna and other tuna-like species that entered the US. The...
Annual GenSan Tuna Festival Kicks Off This Weekend
The much-awaited week-long annual GenSan festival will begin in the Filipino tuna capital city, General Santos, on August 31. The city authorities, fishing companies, and entrepreneurs have...
More “Vessels Of Interest” Detected This Year In WCPO
The twelve-day FFA-led operation to combat IUU fishing in the WCPO, 'Operation Island Chief 2025' (OPIC25), concluded last week. Eight surface patrol assets and six aircrafts were deployed,...
TUNA VIGO 2025: Last Chance To Register For The World’s Leading Tuna Conference
- Sponsored content - The countdown has begun: in just a few days, the global tuna industry will gather in Vigo, Spain, for the XII ANFACO World Tuna Conference, from September 11–12, under...
Seiner Fuel Costs Drop For WCPO Boat Owners
After two months of reduced earnings for WCPO purse seine owners due to high fuel costs and other expenses, August showed a reprieve. Global crude oil prices have declined, pushing down marine...
Indian Tuna Exporter Association Points Out Roadblocks To A Thriving Business
Last year, the Indian government announced that it is gearing up to expand its tuna industry, which included fishing, processing, and exports. The country's tuna sellers point out that there...
Overnight Inferno Destroys Marshall Islands Parliament Building
The Marshall Islands Parliament building was destroyed after a fire engulfed the chamber, offices, library, and archives in the wee hours of Tuesday. No casualties were reported. The Marshall...
Concerns For Fish Welfare In Pole-And-Line Gear Rises, IPNLF Questions Study
The Carefish/catch project researches animal welfare impacts in pole-and-line fisheries. The outcomes of its recent study has been criticized by International Pole and Line Foundation...
Boats Stay Ashore In Vietnam Tuna Hub Amid High Costs
Tuna fishers in the province of Khanh Hoa in Vietnam are unable to go to sea. High costs and low fish prices and catches are driving these fishermen to stay in port. This province is a tuna...
Should RFMOs Require More Transparency In Vessel Ownership?
Atuna asked Gerard Domingue, IOTC Compliance Manager, on why it is possible for a vessel to have an owner of a nationality other than the flag it flies. He explained that most nations’...
Favorable Economic Conditions For WCPO Purse Seine Fishery
The economic situation for the overall WCPO purse seine fishery was favorable in 2024, according to the latest data presented to the WCPFC. The estimated value of purse seine tuna catch for...
Tuna RFMOs Have Pivotal Role In BBNJ Agreement
The complementary roles that tuna RFMOs and the BBNJ agreement can play were widely discussed at a United Nations (UN) event. Rhea Moss-Christian, Executive Director of WCPFC, explored the...
Fishing Closure Period, FADs Use Among Ecuador’s Priorities At IATTC Meeting
Ecuador, with the largest fleet in the EPO, has asked the IATTC for a reduction in the fishing closure period from 2026 to 2028. Bigeye stock sustainability and maintaining the number of FADs...
Bangkok Hub Sees Cautious Approach To Skipjack Trading
Trading in the Bangkok tuna processing hub is cautious, but the price for skipjack raw material is moving in an upward direction. Hardly any deals are being made. Small packers mentioned that...
Mexican Seiners’ Tuna Catches Driven By Excellent Yellowfin Volumes
Mexican purse seiners operating in the EPO expanded their catches from January to June this year, compared to H1 2024, due to the high yellowfin volumes during this period. The vessels...
Readers: EC Will Appeal On IOTC DFAD Court Judgment
Earlier this month, the EU General Court annulled the European Commission’s (EC) refusal to review the EU’s objection to the IOTC 72-day dFAD ban. The decision came after French NGO Bloom...