The traditional Spanish Almadrabas for fishing bluefin foresee the first ‘levantas’ (pulling up the nets) in mid-April. Normally, the first moon in May marks the beginning of the fishing...
News
Major Global Highlights March 2023
A number of major news was reported in March. The Bangkok skipjack price spiked, hitting the barrier, the Korean reefer carrier ‘Sun Flower 7’ was denied access to Bangkok port because of...
MSC Fails In Providing Chain Of Custody Status On Carriers
When most MSC fisheries have caught tuna that is part of their certification, it automatically means the processor receiving the fish can add the blue sustainability logo. However, to stay...
American Samoa Has Strong Reasons To Oppose MPA Expansions
The White House announcement to expand MPAs in the Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) has received mixed responses. American Samoan Congresswoman Aumua Amata strongly disapproves of the decision,...
Spanish Researchers Looking Into Rising Skipjack Numbers In Mediterranean Sea
The rise in sea temperature due to climate change has led to an increasing presence of skipjack in the Mediterranean Sea, an area well-known only for bluefin. Spanish researchers are starting...
Kyokuyo’s Top Executive Steps Down After Steering Growth For Four Decades
Japanese tuna and seafood company Kyokuyo announced the retirement of its Executive Vice-President (VP) and former Managing Director (MD) Ken Sakai. He will step down on June 27, after 45...
6000-Year-Old Copper Tuna Hook To Be Displayed
An ancient copper fishing hook used to catch tuna and sharks will be displayed for the first time at the 48th Annual Archaeological Congress in Israel on April 3. The 6,000-year-old hook was...
More Korean Carriers Zig-Zagged Next To Protected Area
Last week, Atuna investigated the activities of ‘Sun Flower 7’ which was denied unloading its tuna cargo at the Bangkok port. It was revealed that it navigated in a suspicious zig-zag pattern...
Fifteen Global Tuna Stocks Do Not Meet MSC Standards
RFMOs have a lot of work ahead of them in terms of tuna stock conservation and adopting well-defined harvest control rules (HCRs). Out of the 23 global tuna stocks, only eight achieved a...
Lion Capital Denies Participating In Tuna Price-Fixing, Says It Never “Sold A Can”
Lion Capital LLP and its subsidiary Big Catch Cayman (two former Bumble Bee owners) told a Californian federal judge that US consumers are trying to pin the responsibility of price-fixing on...
RD Tuna Canners Buying Raw Material From Competitor
The reduction of operations by RD's fishing fleet and shortage of tuna has forced RD Tuna Canners (located in Madang, PNG) to buy raw material from a competitor. The plant's top executive said...
OPAGAC Claims Bigeye Conservation Efforts Negatively Impact Seiners
OPAGAC, which represents part of the Spanish purse seiner fleet, has criticized ICCAT's bigeye conservation measures. This comes on the heels of Spanish and Central American experts in...
WCPFC Additional FAD Ban In High Seas Begins
The additional ban on FAD sets in the WCPF convention area will start on April 1 for two months. Vessels, except those flying the Kiribati flag when fishing in the high seas (adjacent to its...
John Burton Denies Being Commercially Motivated In Opposing Industrial Purse Seining
Pole-and-line fishing proponent, John Burton, is not only motivated by environmental concerns but also commercial interests. Having worked in the sector for the past four decades, he has been...
Skipjack In Bangkok Hits USD 2,000 Barrier
Processors in Bangkok are worried over the depressed supply which has pushed the value for whole round frozen skipjack to hit a peak not seen since 2017. Catches in the WCPO have been...
SolTuna Plant Bids Adieu To Top Executive
The SolTuna cannery in Solomon Islands recognized the efforts of its employees and also bid farewell to its General Manager, Jim Alexander, at an event on March 20. The plant, with over 2000...
WCPFC’s New Exec Director Takes Over Reins, Says Retail Sector Has Strong Role To Play
Rhea Moss-Christian assumed her new role as WCPFC Executive Director this month. But she is no stranger to matters concerning the tuna industry in the Pacific since she has more than two...
Century Tuna ‘Saving Our Seas’ One Cleanup At A Time
Philippines-based Century Tuna has kick-started the ‘Saving our Seas’ program in collaboration with Aling Tindera (a waste-to-cash initiative) of the NGO HOPE. The initiative began on March 25...
How To Know A (IUU) Carrier Is Part Of An MSC CoC Before Unloading?
How can a cannery know if it has purchased MSC-certified tuna and unloaded the cargo from a carrier that was included in the Chain of Custody (CoC) of the MSC-certified fishery? Yesterday, the...
WCPO Skipjack Catches Dreadful, Worries Over Sufficient Supply
Skipjack trading in Bangkok will be tight as the February WCPO catches showed a sharp decline despite efforts made by the purse seiner fleets. The latest data show that skipjack volumes taken...