Small-scale fishing organisation LIFE has welcomed the European Commission’s recognition that coastal artisanal fishing fleets should benefit from the reallocation of Bluefin tuna quota in a fair manner across all European fleets, and the proposal to reintegrate this marginalised sector into the Bluefin tuna fishery.
A multi-national operation co-ordinated by Europol and involving the Guardia Civil in Spain as well as French, Italian, Maltese and Portuguese authorities has resulted in 79 arrests and the seizure of more than 80 tonnes of illegal bluefin tuna as an illegal network handling an estimated 2500 tonnes each year has been dismantled.
An important agreement has been signed between WWF-India and the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) to ensure that they work more collaboratively on behalf of the one-by-one skipjack tuna fishery in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, a tropical archipelago in the Laccadive Sea, off the coast of Kerala.
A French artisanal longline and handline fishery representing small Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna boats has entered assessment against the MSC Fisheries Standard. The boats are grouped under the brand Thon rouge de ligne – pêche artisanale.
In an addition to the pole-and-line fleet it operates under the Solomon Islands flag, a vessel acquired from Japan has joined the fleet of National Fisheries Developments (NFD), a subsidiary of US tuna operator Tri Marine.
While French pelagic vessels struck it lucky last week with an 'accidental' catch of 44 bluefin tuna in waters near Jersey, the volume of bluefin across UK and west of Ireland coastlines is causing frustration for fishermen who can only watch in envy at France with its bluefin quota.
The French Polynesia albacore and yellowfin longline fishery has been granted certification to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Standard for Sustainable Fishing. The certification was confirmed by third party certifier ME Certification.
A non-profit tuna producer organisation based on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands has become the latest Member of the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF). Organización de Productores de Túnidos y Pesca Fresca (Optuna No 42) represents the interests of the pole-and-line tuna fishery of the Canary Islands, and has been supporting local fishermen and coastal communities in the region for more than a hundred years.
NOAA Fisheries is implementing new management measures for Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), reflecting international standards developed through years of negotiations to govern the use of FADs. International standards are designed to monitor and control fishing effort using FADs, reduce entangling marine life, and ensure that FAD use remains sustainable in the long-term.
Thai Union has released its first annual Tuna Commitment Progress Report to provide a public update on its ambitious strategy to ensure 100% of the company’s branded tuna is sustainably sourced, with a target of achieving a minimum of 75% by 2020, in line with the company’s SeaChange sustainability strategy.