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Latest Fishing News
16-23 November 2021

Kiribati Govt Within Its Rights To End PIPA Status – Ocean Five
A group involved in funding Kiribati’s Phoenix Island Protected Area says its disappointed the government plans to end that status, but says it respects its right to do so.
Tarawa announced the proposed move earlier this week saying it would allow commercial fishing in the protected area, commonly referred to as PIPA.
It says the protected status has cost the country tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue from international fishing licences.
Oceans Five’s Charles Fox, speaking from New York, told Don Wiseman about his organization’s role in the formation of PIPA. Continue reading here (Source: Radio new Zealand).

 

112 Retailers, Tuna Suppliers Urge WCPFC to Adopt Tuna Harvest Strategies
More than one hundred companies in the tuna supply chain have sent a letter to the heads of delegations of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), urging them to develop and adopt harvest strategies across all the tuna stocks the regional fishery management organization oversees.
Walmart, Whole Foods, Costco, Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, Target, and Kroger were among the signors of the letter, which said harvest control strategies are necessary to ensure the RFMO’s tuna fisheries retain their Marine Stewardship Council certifications. Continue reading here (Source: Seafood Source).

 

ISSF Participating Tuna Companies Achieve Full Compliance with 30 Science-Based ISSF Conservation Measures
The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its sixth annual Update to ISSF Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which shows a conformance rate of 100 percent by 26 ISSF participating companies with all 30 ISSF conservation measures in effect. Following the remediation period, all 26 companies were fully compliant with all 30 measures audited. 
As part of its commitment to foster transparency and accountability in the fishing industry, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to assess ISSF participating seafood companies’ compliance with ISSF conservation measures according to a rigorous audit protocol. Continue reading here (Source: International Seafood Sustainabiliuty Foundation).

 

Taiwan’s Tuna Industry Adopts CCTV, Blockchain in Effort to Mend Image
The Taiwan Tuna Association has teamed up with the National Chung Cheng University to trial a video-monitoring system aboard its fishing vessels, aimed at stamping out labor abuses.
The TTA said it’s using a government grant to install the surveillance systems on its distant-water fishing vessels, allowing onshore monitoring and the use of blockchain to guarantee the validity of the captured data. The move comes as part of a three-year experimental project titled “Fulfilling the Protection of Human Rights at Sea and Supporting the Sustainable Development of Fisheries with Technology: Establishing Person-Centered Decent Labor Policies in Distant Water Fisheries.” The project is funded in part by Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology, which plans to set up a communication platform for stakeholders “utilizing advanced technologies, such as big data and blockchain,” according to the TTA. Continue reading here (Source: SeafoodSource).

 

Certifying Group Ramps Up Pressure On Regional Fisheries Organization
Every year, a potential showdown looms between Pacific island countries and distant water fishing nations at the annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) that happens early next month – over one issue or another.
This year is no different. A “tropical tuna conservation measure” that has been in place for several years expires December 31.
Getting agreement between the nearly 20 Pacific Island members of the WCPFC and the distant water fishing nation members that include the European Union, the United States, and China, Japan, Taiwan and other Asian nations, is challenging even on what appear to be relatively easy issues addressed by the Commission, which governs fishing on the high seas in this vast part of the Pacific. The tropical tuna measure, meanwhile, is a complex conservation policy governing fishing for the different tuna species in the region. Continue reading here (Source: Radio New Zealand).

 

Pacifical Targets GSA Certification to Guard Fair Conditions for Seiner Crews
Pacifical, the market development company of the nine Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Pacific Island nations, and the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA), announce their partnership to implement the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS) on all Pacifical fishing operations. The RFVS scheme certification will provide independently verified assurance of fair working and living conditions onboard, and will involve more than 7,000 crew members working on more than 250 vessels operating in the Western Pacific tuna purse seiner fisheries.
How will the Pacifical RFVS scheme differ from the other social guidelines and standards?
The Pacifical RFVS program differs from other social guidelines or standards as it will not rely on self-assessment forms or sporadic audits. Instead certificate issuance will be independently assessed and verified on a trip-to-trip basis against the RFVS standard. Continue reading here (Source: PRWeb).

 

Malaysian Government Launches Measures to Develop Sustainable Tuna Fishing Industry
The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry will develop the tuna fishing industry in the country with the active involvement of deep-sea fishing industry players.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said the Tuna Industry Development Strategic Plan 2021-2030 (10 years) had been drafted in realising his ministry’s aspirations.
“The tuna fishing industry has great potential as a new source of national wealth to be developed in Sabah and Labuan, in line with the transformation and development of the fisheries sector under the National Agrofood Policy 2.0 (DAN 2.0),” he said at the engagement session with senior tuna industry players at a hotel on Sunday (Nov 21).
Continue reading here (Source: TheStar).

 

2021 WCPFC Position Statement
   
The impacts of COVID-19 continue to present challenges to RFMOs in conducting meetings. Even under these challenging circumstances, WCPFC must ensure the uninterrupted, sustainable management of the tuna stocks and marine ecosystems under its purview. There are several critical measures and issues that require immediate attention by the WCPFC this year.
This Statement focuses on those critical measures and issues on which the WCPFC must take action in 2021, which align with the ISSF global priorities for tuna RFMOs. Continue reading here (Source: International Seafood Sustainability Foundation).
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