Latest Fishing News
30 November-8 December 2021
OTC Fails to Resolve Vote Dispute, Again
Members of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) have, for the second time in under a year, failed to agree on a resolution for the outcome of a secret ballot vote on proposed amendments to regulations on the management of fish aggregating devices (FADs).
During a special meeting on 29 November, efforts to strike a deal on the disputed June 2021 vote on amendments to Resolution 19/02 – supported by Kenya, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mozambique, Pakistan, Somalia, South Africa, Indonesia, and Tanzania – flopped, despite several non-governmental organizations calling for a quick resolution of the dispute. Continue reading here (Source: SeafoodSource).
Bangkok Skipjack Prices Rise Above Ecuador for the First Time in Over a Year
Continue reading here(Source: Thai Union).
Portugal Creates Europe’s Largest Marine Reserve
Portugal on Monday announced the creation of the largest marine protected area in Europe.
The new reserve protects 2,677 square kilometers (approximately 1,034 square miles) around the Selvagens Islands, an archipelago in the North Atlantic that sits halfway between the Canary Islands and Madeira. The new reserve expands existing protections put in place for sea birds and moves the world closer to the goal of protecting 30% of land and water by 2030.
“When we say the largest marine reserve in Europe, it’s exciting, because it really is a sense of leadership and ambition,” Paul Rose of Pristine Seas, who led an expedition to the islands in 2015, tells Treehugger. In the context of the 30X30 target, Portugal’s announcement, “shows that we can actually do this,” he added. Continue reading here (Source: Treehugger).
Pacific Islands Unite Against Challenges to the Sustainability of Their Tuna Stocks and Defend Their Sovereign Rights to Manage Fisheries in Their Waters
Making sure the tuna fisheries of the Western and Central Pacific remain sustainable is one of the driving aims of Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) members heading into WCPFC18 this week.
“As FFA members have continued to highlight throughout this year, Pacific Island people are dependent on the tuna fishery, therefore management action to ensure the sustainability of our stocks is critical,” says FFA’s Director General, Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen.
This coming week is the 18th session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WPCFC) in which FFA Members meet with the wider WCPFC Membership comprising the Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs) on the management of the region’s tuna fisheries and associated bycatch. Key decisions in the form of conservation and management measures (CMMs) are discussed, negotiated and agreed at this meeting. Continue reading here (Source: Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency).
FCF Joins Global Traceability Project (GDST)
FCF Co., Ltd. (FCF), one of the world’s largest marine products integrated supply chain service provider companies specialising in tuna, has joined the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) as formally announced on the GDST website.
With more than 30 subsidiaries, fishing bases, and shipping agents around the world, FCF’s participation in the GDST has the potential to significantly support the expansion and implementation of traceability systems across the tuna sector.
FCF strongly believes that the full adoption of the GDST standards will be a key tool for the improvement and implementation of interoperable traceability systems in the global seafood industry. With full implementation of GDST standards, end-market users can have stronger assurances that FCF products are legally sourced. Continue reading here (Source: Fish Focus).
Seychelles-Flagged Purse Seiners Returning to Port After Reaching Yellowfin Tuna Quota
Ten out of 13 tuna purse seiners fishing under the flag of Seychelles have stopped operations for 2021 after having reached their allocated yellowfin tuna quota for the year, a top fisheries official said.
The chief fisheries officer at the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), Vincent Lucas, told SNA on Thursday that usually vessels start reaching their limit towards the end of October or beginning of November, but this is vessel specific as they each manage their quota differently.
Some foreign-flagged vessels, more specifically the Spanish and French, have also stopped their operations, said Lucas. Continue reading here (Source: Seychelles News Agency).
Japan’s Fish Exports Rebounding From a Slow 2020
Japan’s seafood exports rose by 9.4 percent in October 2021 year-over-year, while its seafood imports were up by 26.7 percent, resulting in a small trade deficit.
Japan’s government announced on Wednesday, 1 December the country is now on track to reach its target of JPY 1 trillion (USD 8.9 billion, EUR 7.8 billion) in total food exports in 2021, according to The Japan Times, including JPY 8.4 billion (USD 74.4 million, EUR 65.8 million) in scallop shipments. The government has a goal of attaining JPY 5 trillion (USD 44.3 billion, EUR 39.2 billion) in food exports by 2030. Continue reading here (Source: SeafoodSource).
US Coast Guard Increases Cooperation with Costa Rica and Regional Partners on Illegal Fishing
Today in Golfito, the United States Coast Guard (CGC) vessel STONE completed a six-day patrol in search of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in collaboration with the National Coast Guard Service (SNG) of Costa Rica. This patrol is part of Operation Southern Shield, a one-month mission that will include joint patrols in maritime waters of the Exclusive Economic Zones of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. Operation Southern Shield is the first US Coast Guard patrol dedicated to illegal fishing in Costa Rican waters.
As part of the operation in Costa Rican waters, two members of the SNG joined CGC STONE in patrolling the waters of Costa Rica that are part of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, including a circumnavigation of Isla del Coco. Since regional threats require joint solutions, collaboration with foreign partners is one of the pillars of the US Coast Guard’s 10-year plan, Strategic Outlook on IUU Fishing, to address threats from this activity. Continue reading here (Source: The Tico Times).
