Tunaseiners.com- Industrial tuna fishing news from around the world

The government of Seychelles says it’s working with international partners to protect its tuna industry from piracy.

Fish exports bring in hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

“Piracy is a serious threat to tuna fisheries management,” said Joel Morgan, Seychelles minister of environment, natural resources and transport. He was speaking at an international conference on tuna fishing held earlier this month in the capital, Victoria, attended by more than 150 scientists, environmentalists and officials from government and industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Canners in the Philippines are reporting significantly higher raw material costs for skipjack. They are currently paying the fisherman $1150 per metric ton, and are now taking orders for May arrivals in the United States.

Skipjack raw material prices have also firmed steadily in Bangkok with levels now at U.S. $1100 to $1120 per M/T. This is an increase of over $250 per ton since mid November. However, in the Indian Ocean, fishing has switched from Yellowfin to Skipjack earlier than expected. Read the rest of this entry »

By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino owned RD Corp. announced they will be investing $15 million for a new plant in General Santos City for its canned tuna export business.

RD Group chairman Rodrigo Rivera Sr. said that they will be starting the new cannery in the first quarter next year. The group already has six canneries in General Santos City. Read the rest of this entry »

Tuna purse seiners required to have onboard observer

By Giff Johnson

MAJURO, Marshall Islands – The new fishing requirement that all purse seiners operating in the Pacific must have an observer on board is pushing the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority to triple its current crew of tuna boat observers working out of Majuro. Read the rest of this entry »

AN AMMONIA explosion at a Port Lincoln tuna factory run by Makybe Diva owner Tony Santic has evacuated businesses within in a three-kilometer radius.

Emergency crews were called to Tony’s Tuna, owned by racing identity Santic, just before 2.30pm after reports an explosion had destroyed a shed.

Police closed the surrounding area evacuating local businesses including West Coat Dismantlers and Hi-Fert fertilizer. Read the rest of this entry »

GENERAL SANTOS CITY , Philippines – The local tuna industry, in limbo over the last couple of months, is in for harder times following a ban imposed by the Western and Central Pacific Commission (WCPC) on all fishing operations in the high seas, or beyond the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EZZ), beginning January next year, a fishing federation leader said here yesterday.

The unilateral action taken by the WCPC, the world’s governing body on the protection and preservation of tuna and similar species, will further cut local production, trigger mass layoffs and plunge the industry deeper into financial straits, said Ronel Rivera, vice president of the RD Group of Companies here. Read the rest of this entry »