Negotiators in the World Trade Organization (WTO) are hoping that a deal on reducing fishing subsidies across the globe can be clinched on Thursday. Stakeholders have criticized countries...
Fishing
PNG WCPO Carrier Activity Plunges In May As Operations Move Eastwards
Volumes of whole round frozen tuna being transshipped in the WCPO took a plunge in May after a drop in raw material purse seine catches. Ports in Kiribati handled the most tonnage compared to...
Tuna Fishermen Rescued After Missing For 7 Days, 2 Remain Lost
Six tuna fishermen have been rescued from an island in Chile after all communications with the crew of the longliner were lost for a week. The country’s navy will not stop its search efforts...
Recovery Signs In WCPO Catches Of Large Yellowfin
WCPO purse seiners improved their fishing efforts in May but skipjack catches fell despite this. On the other hand, vessels increased their large yellowfin landings for the first time in...
Human Poop Turning Tuna Breeding Ground Into A “Dead Zone”
Piles of human poop are responsible for the degradation of reefs where tuna and other marine species breed in the South China Sea. Recently released satellite images show that Chinese military...
EU Vessels Finally Allowed Back In Gabon Waters
After years of discussion, the fishing agreement between the EU and Gabon is finally official. The deal entered into force this July and grants access to the African Nation’s EEZ to 27 tuna...
China & Philippines Marine Territorial Dispute Affecting Tuna Fishers
Filipino tuna fishermen trying to make ends meet are struggling in the region of Zambales, where the local tuna fishing once thrived. The reasons for this are the proliferation of industrial...
Crew Of Spanish P+L Vessel Left Abandoned On Board
The crew of the Spanish-flagged pole-and-liner ‘Gaztelugaitz’ consisting of 11 Senegalese fishers has been left abandoned in Arrecife, Canary Islands, for the past five months. The men have...
ICCAT Misses Opportunity To Protect Shortfin Makos In Atlantic
ICCAT has missed the opportunity to make sufficient progress to protect the depleted northern stock of shortfin makos in the Atlantic Ocean caught as bycatch by longlining vessels targeting...
Will Thailand’s Trade Be Affected By Bad Score In US Trafficking Report?
The US Department of State recently released the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report which looks at forced labor issues in a country and ranks them for measures taken to eliminate or mitigate...
Indonesia Says It Will Withdraw Objection If IO Yellowfin Quota Is Adjusted
Indonesia has clarified its position on why it is objecting to IOTC’s yellowfin reduction plan which was adopted during the 2021 annual meeting by many of the countries. Recently, the...
Is The Move To Grow US Military Presence To Protect Pacific Tuna Supply Justified?
The geopolitical power of China in the Pacific region has been growing stronger in the past couple of years. Recently, the former US National Security Advisor, Robert C. O’Brien, asked to...
Ecuador Committee: Inspect Foreign Vessels’ Cargo Fishing Around Galapagos
Ecuadorian officials cannot see eye to eye regarding foreign fishing vessels in their waters. Members of the Biodiversity Commission of the Ecuadorian General Assembly...
Why Purse Seine Nets Cannot Become Ghost Gear
Many people must have seen it. Images of nets stuck around a poor turtle’s neck while swimming in the sea or FADs and coiled ropes washed up on shores. Environmentalists have been saying for...
100% Indigenous-Owned Tuna Venture Starts With Help Of Aussie Firm
The first 100 percent Indigenous-owned commercial tuna fishing venture has been created in Australia. It goes by the name Wanna Mar, meaning seafood in traditional Mirning and Wirangu...
Outrage Over Nauru’s Request To Start Deep-Sea Mining In Two Years
The Pacific tuna fishing nation of Nauru has notified a United Nations body of its plans to start deep-sea mining in two years. It has until then to figure out and finalize the mining laws and...
SKJ1.8:BKK Sees Jump As FAD Ban Kicks In
After months of a downward trend, the price of whole round frozen skipjack in Bangkok has shot up as the FAD ban took effect at the start of July. High container prices are still a cause of...
EU Extends Equal Access Fishing Policy For Another Decade
On Monday, the European Commission (EC) extended for another 10 years the measure for EU member states to have access for fishing seafood including albacore and bluefin in each...
Chinese Fishing Company Building New Seiners To Cover More WCPO
The Chinese tuna fishing company, Zhonglu Oceanic, has announced its intention to expand its seiner fleet in order to increase production. Therefore, the firm will be building two new tuna...
Maldives Places 24-Hr Curfew On Island But Allows Tuna Fishing
Tuna fishing can continue despite a 24-hr curfew being imposed on the island of Thinadhoo in the Maldives to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the area. The new restriction came into force on...