Bernadette Carreon

The International Pole and Line Foundation presented a paper before the annual Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting earlier this month, stating that the proliferation of fish aggregating devices (FADS) are negatively impacting tuna stocks and the environment, risking tuna's future availability in the market.

The paper, “The IUU Nature of FADs, Implication for Tuna Management and Markets,” cites the

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) annual meeting ended on Tuesday, 15 December, and while the members were lauded for agreeing to a rollover of its vital tropical tuna measure, the commission failed to address the human rights and labor issues regarding observer and and crew safety the tuna-fishing sector.

Before its meeting, the WCPFC was lobbied by U.K. NGO Human Rights at Sea to adopt a CMM to address

The 27 members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) have approved the rollover of the tropical tuna measure for bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna, which without a consensus would have expired in February 2021.

The move by the WCPFC is in contrast with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), which failed to reach a consensus on regulations, leaving the fishery unmanaged beginning 1 January, 2021.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission will hold its regular annual session from 7 to 15 December, with the renewal of the tropical tuna measure on bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin billed as the main topic up for discussion.  

The meeting, WCPFC17, has been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced the commission to meet virtually, according to WCPFC Executive Director Feleti Teo.

“Due to the

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) should consider a model measure dedicated to fisheries observers that ensures it complies with accepted international core human and labor rights standards, the U.K. NGO Human Rights at Sea recommended in its latest report.

The proposed model measure was submitted to WCPFC Secretariat for consideration in the upcoming virtual meeting of members, taking place early next month.

The

Australia has deployed a new underwater technology across the Torres Strait aimed at combating illegal foreign fishing, according to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

The Maritime Border Command (MBC), an agency within the Australian Border Force (ABF), was in charge of deploying the technology in partnership with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organizations (CSIRO), which developed the new hydrophones. The

A marketing campaign to encourage Australians to consume more seafood in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic was launched on 8 November by Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), the national peak-body representing the Australian seafood industry.

SIA CEO Veronica Papacosta said the campaign will be funded through an AUD 4 million (USD 2.9 million, EUR 2.5 million) marketing grant under the AUD 1 billion (USD 727 million, EUR 618 million) COVID-19

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) has extended the suspension of total fisheries observer coverage in the region until February 2021, amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

In a circular memo dated 22 October, WCPFC Chair Jung-re Riley Kim stated that the commission and its members agreed to suspend the requirements for observer coverage on purse-seine vessels until 15 February. The suspension of observer coverage was

The Maldives Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture said mounting calls for a boycott of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna by retailers are “unfair and unwarranted,” especially when its government has always advocated for sustainable fishing.

The status of the stocks, the country said, is of great concern to the country, and a boycott will only have a negative impact on the workforce of the country.

“The status of