The last wooden boat catching albacore with a traditional Basque fishing technique has been saved from the wrecking ball and will be restored to its former glory. The ‘Ozentziyo’ was built in 1990, but was forced to stop fishing as the tuna migrated too far from the coast, a problem that more smaller vessels faced at that time. When its owner retired, the Albaola Maritime Culture Factory, shipyard museum in Pasaia, Spain, purchased the boat to preserve this cultural heritage.

The boat is equipped with an ancestral fishing method called perches (used in whale and cod fishing traditions) and has a direct link to old sailing boats. The restoration will take place in San Sebastián and is an educational project that is open to the public to follow the progress. The goal is to transform the boat into an icon of the city. Several initiatives are being developed to ensure its preservation and maintenance. Cultural projects and initiatives are also being launched around the ‘Ozentziyo’.

Last week, Somali pirates, who have been on a rampage lately, attempted to attack the super seiner ‘Intertuna Tres.’ On November 2, the crew of the tuna vessel spotted a speedboat approaching them from a mothership, believed to be the Iranian-flagged ‘Issa Mohamadi’, which was hijacked by the pirates last month. Security forces onboard ‘Intertuna Tres’ immediately fired shots at the pirates’ speedboat, after which they returned to the mothership, reported new sites. The crew members were reportedly unharmed. ‘Intertuna Tres’ is a 101-meter-long Seychelles-flagged vessel owned by Mahe-based Interatun L.T.D., part of the Albacora Group, and operates in the IOTC convention area.

Piracy activity off the coast of Somalia has flared sharply since late October. Last week, a Spanish frigate (small warship) freed a Maltese merchant boat that was seized by Somali pirates. The frigate operated under Operation Atalanta, an ongoing EU-helmed counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean.

The Lo-Boy brand’s ‘Tuna Deluxe Salad’ was recently recalled by Made Fresh Salads Inc. based in Bay Shore, US, due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Containers with ‘Macaroni Salad’ were also recalled from retail stores in New York for the same reason. No illnesses have been reported in connection with these salads. The contamination was discovered during routine sampling conducted by the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets. Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of Listeria in some 5-pound (2,268 grams) containers of Lo-Boy Macaroni Salad and Tuna Deluxe Salad, prompting an immediate suspension of production.

Listeria can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections, particularly in young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Contaminated food may appear normal but can still pose a health risk. Anyone who has consumed the recalled salads should watch for symptoms, such as high temperature, pain, chills, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. It can take up to 70 days before these symptoms appear, and authorities recommend consumers seek medical attention.