IPNLF and Zeal Industries have joined forces in the field testing of the Uptime technology that enhances safety at sea and improves the operational efficiency of small-scale tuna fishing operations. Zeal Industries based in Hongkong has developed an affordable and wearable tracking device to save lives of fishermen at sea by recording their position. It aims to further develop this technique into an advanced real-time recording with accurate, high-resolution tracking data for fishing vessels. Scaling from pilots to ongoing application is the greatest hurdle for today’s technologies as small-scale fishing vessel owners has no financing to purchase, install, or maintain them.

Uptime uses low-cost satellite connections, making it one-tenth the cost of comparable maritime solutions, stated IPNLF. The benefit of the collaboration goes both ways. IPNLF has a global network of stakeholders in the fishing and seafood market which Zeal Industries can use to tailor Uptime to the specific needs of these fishers, maximizing its positive impact. Field trials are already underway with fleets in South Africa, Tanzania, and Japan. “We are thrilled to announce this partnership, which blends diverse expertise across the fisheries and technology sectors,” said Martin Purves, Managing Director of IPNLF.

StarKist has kick-started a ‘Fuel for the Modern Hustle’ campaign that focuses on positioning its ready-to-eat tuna products as ideal for today’s busy, multitasking lifestyles. American actress and social media influencer Tiffany Thiessen has been roped in, along with other celebrities, to promote the items. The brand stated that its ready-to-eat tuna pouches, available in different flavors, along with the classic tuna salad kit with crackers, “are made to support the nonstop routines of modern multitaskers, anytime and anywhere.”

Michael Merritt, Head of Marketing at StarKist, explained that consumers want lean protein that fits easily into their lives. “StarKist delivers with convenient, delicious tuna, chicken, and salmon pouches that support today’s nonstop routines and help keep people fueled throughout the day.” The brand put an Instagram reel yesterday showing school-going children, people who are working out, and those playing outdoor games, opting for the pouches. The brand introduced a ‘StarKist Summer’ campaign earlier this year claiming that its pouches are ideal for fitness enthusiasts and travellers in summer.

Senators Katie Britt and Rick Scott, from Alabama and Florida, respectively, sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick last week urging Washington to ban Chinese tuna products from entering the country. The letter read that China, the world’s largest exporter of seafood to the US, has turned IUU fishing into a weapon to undermine US workers, threaten national security, and perpetuate human rights abuses. “It includes the use of forced and child labor, human trafficking, and dangerous working conditions that claim over 100,000 lives annually in the commercial fishing industry.”

China is among the top five sellers of canned bonito to the US. From January to June this year, the US imported 781 M/T of this product from China, more than a halving compared to the same period last year. China’s tuna products trade fell drastically from 2018, due to an economic war kicked off by US President Donald Trump in his first term in office.