A greater presence of Irish vessels has “disturbed” Basque fishermen as they are finding it difficult to share the Spanish coasts and its Atlantic albacore, also known as ‘bonito del norte’...
Tuna Fishing News
IN BRIEF: Japan To Propose Quota Increase
The Japanese government plans to propose a 15 percent raise in catch quotas for Pacific bluefin tuna. This is after scientists found there had been a slight increase in stock levels by 10...
Bycatch Data Source: Can It Make A Difference?
An interactive workshop was held in New Caledonia to showcase a new tool from the WCPFC that aims to help address the bycatch issue fisheries face. The Bycatch Management Information System...
Yearly 10% Fleet Reduction To Address EPO Capacity
WWF US has completed a study on the methods to reduce fleet capacity in the Eastern Pacific tuna purse seine fishery and has provided the results to the IATTC. The NGO analyzes the economic...
Anti-Piracy HQ Moving To Spain After Brexit
The European Union has decided to move the headquarters of its anti-piracy mission, Atalanta, from London to the Spanish port of Rota once Britain officially leaves the EU. The mission will...
Firm Launches China’s 1st Fiberglass Longliners
The Chinese fishing company Dalian Ocean Fishing Company (DOF) is said to have launched China’s first fully fiberglass low temperature tuna longline vessels. The announcement from the company...
All Peruvian Seiners Halt In First EPO Closure
All Peruvian flagged purse seine vessels will stop during Session A of the EPO closure. With the majority of fleets opting for a 50/50 split of their seiners across the two closure periods,...
ICCAT Takes Encouraging Steps Towards Bigeye Recovery
Members of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) met this week to address bigeye tuna management and discuss potential ways to rebuild the stock. The RFMO...
EPO Catches Highlight US Fleet’s Western Pacific Focus
A substantial decline in US purse seine catch in the Eastern Pacific so far this year supports vessel tracking data, which shows the fleet focusing more heavily on the WCPO. ‘Ocean Switching’...
IN BRIEF: Spanish Firm Starts Trading Bluefin Ears
The Spanish tuna firm Balfegó has started trading bluefin tuna ear meat after investigating and working on its culinary value and versatility. The company says it is a part of the bluefin that...
RFMOs Called Out For “Slow Progress” On FAD Management
RFMOs have been called out over the management of FADs, which are regarded as a “worsening problem” by Pew Charitable Trusts. The organization believes RFMOs have “widely divergent approaches”...
Are FADs Fishing Gear?
With the definition of a FAD differing across the RFMOs, it is also not clear if these devices should be considered fishing gear. The term ‘gear’ is often used to describe the type of fishing...
IN BRIEF: NY & Seattle Most Expensive US Cities For Sushi
Seattle has been named as the second most expensive city for sushi in the US, sitting behind New York. Bloomberg based its findings on the average prices of California and spicy tuna rolls and...
Half Of Ecuador’s Fleet Stops
Around 50 percent of the Ecuadorian purse seine fleet will stop fishing and return to port in just a few days. Their halt comes at a time when catch statistics show significantly low skipjack...
St Helena: Investors Wanted To Back Underperforming Tuna Sector
St Helena’s government has called on investors to support its fledgling tuna sector. The announcement reveals plans to capitalize on the island’s history of pole-and-line tuna fishing, which...
IN BRIEF: Wicked Tuna Star Dies Aged 28
Nicholas “Duffy” Fudge, star of National Geographic’s reality television series Wicked Tuna has passed away at age 28. Duffy was a key figure in the series, which followed pole-and-line...
Fiji Aims To Cut Millions In Losses Through IUU Agreement
Fiji is the latest nation to sign the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) in a stance against illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing (IUU). Having previously expressed interest in the...
OPAGAC Defends FAD Use & Impact Of ”Incidental Catch”
The representative of the Spanish purse seine fleet, OPAGAC, has defended fishing on FADs with them resulting in a “very small incidental catch rate”. The organization has backed this view...
Taiwan Accused Of Slow Progress On Vital Labor Issues
Taiwan may be taking baby-steps in heightening labor rights in its fisheries industry, but progress is still too slow, according to local and international labor advocates. The country’s labor...
EU Lifts PNA Nation’s IUU Yellow Card
The European Commission DG Mare today made the decision to lift the PNA nation of Tuvalu’s yellow card warning on IUU, having recognized the “important progress” of the country in addressing...