Large purse seiner ‘El Dorado’, owned by Pesca Azteca, was docked for maintenance in Mazatlán, Mexico, when it suddenly caught fire on the afternoon of November 15. The shipyard workers noticed smoke coming from the hull of the vessel and alerted emergency services. Firefighters and company fire department personnel quickly arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire from the fire towers installed along the docks and with water cannons from a nearby vessel.

However, this could not prevent flames from spreading rapidly through the structure due to the presence of flammable materials used in the repair work. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far, only material damage to the ship and thick smoke, which caused breathing problems for firefighters. An investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the incident. Initial reports indicated that it may have been caused by a short circuit resulting from work being carried out on board, reported several Mexican news sites. The 81-meter-long ‘El Dorado’ with a 1,711-ton fish hold capacity arrived in port a week ago to unload its tuna cargo and undergo some repairs.

The CAB, SCS Global Services, announced that the scope extension for albacore, yellowfin, bigeye, and swordfish catches of the Chinese company Pingtairong Ocean Fishery Group Co., Ltd. has been MSC certified. The client modified its Units of Assessment by moving the EPO bigeye, already assessed under Principle 2 (ecosystem impacts), to Principle 1 (target species). It also added 18 vessels to the fishery. Atuna reported on the Announcement Comment Draft Report in March. Pingtairong is a commercial fishing operation with 47 fishing vessels based in Zhoushan, China. All vessels operate within the EEZ of the Cook Islands and the high seas.

The catches of SATHOAN French Mediterranean Bluefin tuna artisanal longline and handline fishery can continue using the MSC logo. The fishery received its reassessment certification this month. It went for an MSC reassessment in 2024. The fishery covers boats targeting eastern Atlantic bluefin in the French and EU shared western Mediterranean waters using pelagic longline and handline, and pole and line. All three principles – target species, ecosystem impacts, and management system- got scores above 80.

Anfaco-Cytma announced earlier this week that it has begun its new #FillYourTableWithSea campaign to promote the consumption of canned tuna and other seafood among Spaniards. The initiative, which will run under the tagline ‘An Ace In The Can,’ can be seen on billboards and displays on metro stations, and buses in seven Spanish cities – Valencia, Bilbao, Málaga, Pontevedra, Oviedo, León, and Valladolid.

The makers claim to have used lighthearted, witty, and ironic humor on the billboards to bring the campaign’s message to the public, paying attention to a young and middle-aged target audience, Anfaco-Cytma said in a press statement. The initiative highlights the nutritional benefits of tuna and seafood products and their versatility. Anfaco has introduced numerous social media campaigns to promote seafood consumption among youngsters, including #TunaWithoutMyths from earlier this year and ‘How easy it is to love yourself well,’ launched last year.