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.
The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has set out its position statement in advance of the 22nd Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), taking place in Bangkok this week.
On Spain’s initiative, a Franco-Spanish Joint Fisheries Committee met in Madrid on April 13, 2018, for the first time since the creation of the Southern AC, under the co-chairmanship of the Secretary General of Fisheries, Alberto López-Asenjo, and the Director of Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture, Frédéric Gueudar Delahaye.
Chinese fishing company Pingtan Marine Enterprise has been granted approval by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for 27 vessels to operate in international waters. Following refits and upgrades, the 27 vessels are expected to operate in the Indian Ocean.
Cefas and the University of Exeter are working to track bluefin tuna and confirm reports that these fish that were once a common sight in the North Sea and Celtic Sea are returning to British waters. In recent years they have been observed more frequently in or coastal waters, particularly during the late summer, autumn and winter as they move into coastal areas to feed on energy-rich fish, such as sprats and herring.