The PNA Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) has proven to be a roaring economic success and is vital to tracking the sustainability of tuna stocks. In a recent presentation at the Pacific Tuna Forum,...
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Tuvalu Minister Criticizes “Unnecessary Conversations” About New Statehood
Tuvalu's Prime Minister Kausea Natano has condemned the ongoing conversations about its decision to exist as a country even as some of its islands are in danger of it submerging underwater due...
FiTI Urges China To Publicize Its Fisheries Sector Information
The Fisheries Transparent Initiative (FiTI) announced it has initiated the ‘Taking Stock’ assessment for China to ensure online transparency in its marine fisheries sector. Under this...
WCPFC’s Director Says Accountability.Fish’s Claims Are “Disingenuous”
Rhea Moss Christian, Executive Director of WCPFC, said that Accountability.Fish’s view on the Commission’s “compliance review is unfortunately misinformed” and that there “no agenda to block...
Pacific Island Nations Sign Historic UN High Seas Treaty
Sixty-seven countries signed the United Nations High Seas Treaty, also officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (BBNJ), in New York on Wednesday. They affirmed...
MSC Hits Back At Bloom’s “Misleading” Report
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has shot back at Paris-based NGO Bloom which published a report last week calling into question the efficacy of MSC’s sustainable certification. MSC told...
Accountability.Fish Blasts WCPFC For Not Allowing It To Attend Compliance Meeting
US NGO Accountability.Fish has yet again pointed a finger at WCPFC for holding its ongoing compliance meeting in “secrecy.” The organization alleged the Commission closed its session to...
Greenpeace: Industrial Tuna Fishing Is A Threat To UN 30×30
In a paper, Greenpeace underlines several key findings, including the large scale industrial tuna fishing in the high seas over the past five years, threats posed by deep sea mining, and the...
IOTC Announces ‘Entry Of Effect’ Of FAD Ban And Other Resolutions
The IOTC will implement the 31-day FAD ban in the Indian Ocean from the beginning of 2024 onwards. This was announced, among eight other resolutions on the IOTC website, on September 18. Catch...
Pakistani Tuna Fishers Claim ‘Subsurface Nets’ Reduce Dolphin Bycatch
Pakistan has come under international scrutiny several times for its tuna fishing practices that do not comply with the IOTC or EU standards. Now the fishers from the Asian country are...
French Bloom Takes On MSC: “Half Of Certified Tuna Originates From Destructive FADs Sets”
The latest part of the “TunaGate series” by French NGO Bloom Association was recently released. The NGO denounces the role of MSC and retailers in protecting the ecosystem and accuses them of...
New MPA Expansion Plan Receives Massive Feedback From Public
The decisions regarding the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) drew nearly 57,000 comments from the public. The numerous topics discussed the pros and cons of the PRIMNM...
MSC Begins Review Of Its ‘Chain Of Custody Standard’
The MSC started reviewing its Chain of Custody Standard (COCS) in September. According to the organization, this will ensure their “assessment process and certification scheme remain relevant...
Case Study Sheds Light On How Privy Council Can Intervene In Pacific Fisheries
The London Privy Council’s judgment on the government's decision to establish the Cook Islands purse seine fishery in 2013 is significant for the Cook Islands and the other Commonwealth...
PNA MSC Scope Extension Assessment Delayed
The Public Comment Draft Report for the PNA skipjack and yellowfin purse seine fishery’s scope extension for bigeye and FAD sets was scheduled to be published in August. However, the document...
Study Warns Ocean Warming May “Narrow Yellowfin Habitats”
Experts found out that the habitats of yellowfins may reduce in the future because oxygen levels in shallower parts of the ocean will decrease due to warming waters. It limits the fish...
US Warns Of Stern Actions Against IUU Fishing Nations In Congress Report
The US recently released a report identifying nations engaged in IUU fishing, bycatch of sharks and turtles, and forced labor. The ‘2023 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries...
Taiwanese Court Imposes Hefty Fine On Vessels Accused Of IUU Fishing
Taiwan’s Supreme Administrative Court sentenced two longliners for allegedly fishing for endangered shark species. The Taiwanese-flagged vessels ‘Sheng Ji Qun 3’ and ‘Jin Chang 21’ will be...
Ecuador’s Fisheries Deputy Minister Elected As IATTC President
Andrés Arens Hidalgo, Ecuador’s Deputy Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries, has been appointed President by the IATTC for the next four years. He succeeds Peruvian Tuna Chamber head Alfonso...
PNG Halts Entry Of Deep Sea Mining Firm Nautilus Minerals
Prime Minister James Marape stated that a moratorium has been placed on Nautilus Minerals, meaning it will not be able to carry out any deep-sea mining operations “until scientific evidence...