One would expect the strong indication that Korean reefer carrier ‘Sun Flower 7’ was deploying FADs next to a marine protected area, which is not permitted under WCPFC rules, should lead to...
Fishing
Heavy Metal Accumulation In Tuna Likely From Future Deep Sea Mining
In a race for a greener planet, we might just make the situation worse, especially with deep-sea mining. New research states that tuna in the Pacific, particularly in the Clarion Clipperton...
Will FAD Ban Exemption Increase WCPO Skipjack Supply?
The FAD ban in the WCPFC took effect July 1 and will run until October 1. The fact that purse seiners can only set on free schools significantly cuts the skipjack supply. However, over the...
Vulnerable Pacific Tuna Nations Must Develop Regional Legislation For Deep Sea Mining
The potential gains from deep-sea mining are immense with deposits containing manganese, nickel, cobalt, gold, silver, and copper. It includes rare earth metals needed to make batteries for...
US System Fails To Prevent IUU Imports
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report blaming the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) system for the NOAA Fisheries’ failure to inspect tuna and other...
Indian Longliner Fishermen Cry Foul Over Government Scheme
A group of tuna fishermen from Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India, is facing pressure to repay loans that they took out to buy tuna longliners under a scheme that is part of the...
US Not Listening To Pacific Islands Will Bury American Samoa Tuna Sector
The tuna sector in the US territories is still at loggerheads with the American administration over the expansion plan for the tuna-rich Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument...
Continuous Poor IO Catches Worrying Tuna Sector
Boat owners and processors in the Indian Ocean (IO) are concerned because skipjack catches did not pick up in June and the strong monsoon season is not a promising outlook for vessel operators...
Think Tank Says Deep-Sea Mining In Tuna-Rich Pacific Should Not Be Financed
Deep-sea mining is a controversial topic eliciting discussions from different parties. Environmentalists lament over the great impact it will have on the ocean environment including tuna...
Tanzanian Government To Penalize Blast Fishers
The Tanzanian government is ensuring it will leave no stone unturned to ban blast or dynamite fishing in its waters. The illegal practice has led to the killing of thousands of tunas and other...
Tuna Sector Critic NGO Bloom Accused Of Having Ties With Oil & Gas Industry
Controversial French NGO, Bloom, is once again in the spotlight but not for its umpteenth attempt in criticizing the European tuna seiner fleet’s operations, but because of the organization’s...
EU-Madagascar Tuna Deal Enters Into Force
The sustainable fishing partnership agreement between the EU and Madagascar took effect on July 1. The follow-up to an expired tuna pact was not widely welcomed in Madagascar as they had hoped...
Major Reflagging Of Large Seiners To Developing Nations
Over several decades, many large-scale purse seiners (LSPS) flying the banner of developed nations have reflagged to developing and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). These states enjoy...
Taiwan Claims Record Bluefin Catch In 20 Years
Fishers in Yilan County in northern Taiwan are rejoicing over record-breaking exceptional bluefin catches they made this year. Almost 3,900 tunas were caught, the highest number in 20 years. A...
Indonesian NGO Throws Light On Plight Of Its Tuna Fishers
Indonesian NGO, Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW), has been working on several programs to enable the government and stakeholders to enhance the protection of its tuna fishermen. The poor...
Spanish Artist Commemorates Tuna Killed In Almadraba
Tourists visiting Sancti Petri in the province of Cádiz in southwestern Spain cannot miss the beautiful tuna murals that adorn the walls in some parts of the coastal town. Artist Antoni...
Ecuadorian Tuna Sector Bracing For El Niño After Record Catch
Ecuadorian processors are preparing estimates and working with municipalities and prefectures for response plans to face the impact of less tuna arriving in the country due to El Niño. Mónica...
Global Large Purse Seiner Fleet Barely Grows
The number of large-scale purse seiners (LSPS) fishing worldwide hardly increased in 2023 compared to last year, according to ISSF's recently released annual “Snapshot of the Large-Scale...
Indonesian Tuna Vessel Rescues Sri Lankan Fishers After 22 Days At Sea
The Indonesian government will repatriate three Sri Lankan fishermen that were rescued in the Indian Ocean (IO) after their boat sank due to a technical glitch and a storm. The fishers were...
Major Global Highlights June 2023
In June, skipjack prices remained high in all three hubs, and the upcoming El Niño has already impacted catches in the EPO and WCPO. The Korean reefer carrier ‘Sun Flower 7’ was again observed...