The crew of the Talenduic, a French tuna boat, were targeted by the pirates as they fished waters around 400 miles south of the Somali coast on March 8.

The French boat was forced to put out a call for help to other ships in the area when they were surrounded by three boats being piloted in an aggressive fashion.

The pirates then attempted to attack the fishing boat, apparently unaware that all French boats currently fishing in the region are carrying armed guards.

Their attack was reportedly countered with rifle fire causing them to abandon their attempts and make efforts to flee the area.

But in the panic two of the pirate craft were capsized, after being hit by swells and driving into a rescue vessel arriving on the scene, depositing half a dozen Somali pirates into the Indian Ocean.

The magnanimous French crew helped to rescue their attackers pulling them aboard one of the Tuna boats.

The unlikely tale of heroism comes at the end of a week that has seen a strong French presence in the treacherous waters, with counter piracy strikes led by the French navy vessel Le Nivose netting 35 suspected Somali pirates.

Source: uptodatefrance.eu

The “Daniela F” Belize-flagged vessel with a carrying capacity of 2500 tonnes discharge approximately 1,700 tonnes of tuna and Vicente F “under flag of Nicaragua  discharge around 1200 tonnes.

These boats were helping to keep production of the plant’s largest tuna cannery in the country (PINSA), as the fleet of this company (Pesca Azteca SA), was still on his first trip catch of the year, this fleet stop activities because the ban set at the end of the last year.

This cannery consumes about 70,000 tons a year, and due to the downward trend in catches which has come to feel in this fishery in recent years have seen the need to import  tuna to supplement their needs of raw materials.

“We have released the ship after we received $3 million in ransom,” a pirate named Hassan told Reuters. “The ship is named Thai Union, its crew have safely moved from the Somali coast.”

Somalia pirate gangs — some made up of former fisherman angered by the presence of foreign fishing fleets in Somali waters — and their backers within Somalia and abroad have made tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.

The Thai Union was captured by men in two skiffs about 200 miles north of the Seychelles and 650 miles off the Somali coast.

“It was a fishing ship and now it has sailed away peacefully,” Hassan added.

The Somali brigands have been terrorizing the east African coast despite a flotilla of foreign navy vessels patrolling the Indian Ocean and the busy Gulf of Aden shipping lanes linking Europe to Asia.

In the latest attack, a gang hijacked a Marshall-Islands-registered tanker off Madagascar on Friday.

Source: Reuters

Meanwhile stricter management measures are being mooted by the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), the largest supplier of tuna to the global market. The ban on the deployment of FADs, fishing restrictions in some high sea areas and possible reduction in the number of fishing days could significantly affect the supply, and thus the price of tuna raw material for Asian canneries. The call by Pacific Island Countries (PIC), which provide more than 50% of global tuna landings, for a respectable return for their tuna resources, and the proposed creation of a tuna cartel, could significantly change the landscape of the global tuna industry.

The above developments and the rapidly changing tuna business environment will be discussed by industry leaders, marketing and technical experts at TUNA 2010 Bangkok, 20-22 May, 2010. The speaker line up would also include representatives of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), NGOs and governmental policy makers. Chairpersons Christopher Lischewski (President and CEO of Bumble Bee), Henk Brus (Managing Director, Atuna) and Chanint Chalisarapong (Vice President, Sea Value, Thailand and Chairman, Tuna Processors Group, TFPA) will be joined by a host of distinguished speakers from industry including Eric Landheer , Head of NASDAQ, OMX Group Asia Pacific, who will discuss the challenges faced by the sector in the current economic scenario.

Other speakers include Alejandro Anganuzzi (IOTC); John Hampton (South Pacific Commission); Guillermo Campean Jimenez (IATTC); Susan Jackson (International Seafood Sustainability Foundation); Julio Moron (Secretary, WTPO); Helga Josupeit (Food and Agriculture Organization); Anthony Vuoso (Vice President, Tri Marine International); Amornphan Aramwattanond (Director, Sea value, Thailand); Don Binotto (President, Starkist, USA); Sam Grossman (Marumi Products, USA) ; Lorna Buchanan (Clover Leaf Seafood, Canada) and Adolfo Valsecchi (CEO, MW Brand, France).

The controversial EU-IUU regulation will be discussed by Luis Molledo from DG of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE) of the EU Commission. He will review the implementation and impacts of the regulation to the tuna exporting countries. Others who will address the conference are Dario Chemerinski (Calvo Group Brazil); Fatima Ferdouse (INFOFISH); Ziad Abdel Rahim (Gulf Seafood Industry, UAE); Phil Knight (New Zealand); Mark Berman (Earth Island Institute); Paolo Bray (Friend of the Sea); Bill Holden (Marine Stewardship Council) and Gerard Roessink (The Netherlands) and several special guests including senior policy makers from leading tuna trading nations.

Source: luenthai.com

As the Albacora shipping company told news agency EFE, the attack took place about 8am (Spanish time). The trawler has already left the area and the crew have resumed their activity.

Somali pirates are currently holding six hijacked ships and 132 sailors, including those aboard the Al Nisr Al Saudi, according to the EU Naval Force.

That figure may increase in coming months. Pirate attacks typically spike during March, April and May, when calmer seas make it easier for pirates to board ships.

Somalia has been torn apart by civil war for the past 19 years. The shaky U.N.-backed government is barely able to hold a few blocks of its capital and is too focused on fighting an Islamist insurgency to send its forces after pirates.

Source: eitb.com

Apparently they succeeded and bought a boat: Pelagic I that we can deduce by the images were acquired in Europe and does not match the type of boat seines used in tropical waters in either the Western or Eastern Pacific.

This project to fish in waters of the Bahamas has not been without difficulties both by the opposition posed by recreational fishermen, and by some media who claim their past links to drug trafficking, an issue that concerns local authorities.

We have sent anonymously comments that indicated this link with the traffic of drugs and the possible use of this type of fishing as a way to mask his activities, which is not in our approach and not us to judge and to be subjected to analysis of the relevant authorities in the Bahamas.

Today was published in the online magazine bahamasweekly.com a communication from the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources which establishes that the use of purse seine fishing will be banned completely to also ensure and maintain the fishery resources to sustainable levels.

We can not fail to mention the great opposition to this venture fishing, which apparently has resulted in an official response from the government of the Bahamas. See below.

Official Statement on Purse Seine Fishing or Net Fishing‏ by The Bahamas Government

By Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources

Purse Seine Fishing or Net Fishing

The Government of The Bahamas is not minded to permit the use of purse seine or net fishing within the waters of The Bahamas.

This method of fishing could result in the possible depletion or signification reduction of the fishing stocks in Bahamian waters. Having regard to the importance of sportfishing to the Tourism Industry, the Government takes the position that purse seine or net fishing will not be permitted in The Bahamas.

Consequently, the necessary amendments to the Fisheries Conservation (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act and Regulations will be made, in order to maintain a sustainable level of fisheries resources within Bahamian waters. The legislation will prohibit the use of purse seine or net fishing to ensure that all fisheries resources, including migratory fish, are maintained at sustainable levels.

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Director of the institute Mark Berman who is currently in the country for a week said this.

He made the stern warning following revelation that a Korean Tuna company is having talks with the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Nollen Leni.

Last week Leni said government is in talks with a Korean fishing company.

“That company is Dong Won, ” Mr Berman said.

The Korean company once operational should provide some 3000 jobs for local Solomon Islanders.

But speaking to Solomon Star, Mr Berman said that job creation will not be possible if nothing is done to stop the dolphin trade and captivity.

“The company can go ahead with its tuna factor but we cannot certify them to export its products,” he said.

Another company which intends to invest in Guadalcanal in Frabelle Fishing company of Philippine.

But Mr Berman said both of these tuna companies are dolphin-safe listed and they know the consequences if Guadalcanal continues to be a centre of dolphin trade.

“We saying this over and over again for about five years now and if the government does not listen it will also affect its tuna trades,” he said.

Source: Solomon Star

Prices for skipjack raw material dropped sharply and unexpectedly in the middle of February in both Thailand and the Philippines. Fishing boats were queuing up in Bangkok with very little interest from the canneries to purchase additional fish. The factories have been sitting with their freezers packed to capacity with skipjack raw material. From a level of $1120 per metric ton in January, raw material pricing has reached a low of $900 per metric ton.

McLane Global continues to urge customers to be aggressive in the purchase of canned tuna. Retail packs are now very close to the extremely attractive price points which have been available from arrivals in the U.S. at the beginning of this year. It is expected that a sudden spike will occur in pricing once the major brands enter the market and purchase raw material at these significantly reduced levels.

Source: McLane Global Report

The PNA countries include the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

The agreement aims to develop innovative ways to maximise economic gains from sustainable management of the countries’ tuna fisheries.

The PNA aims to control access to tuna in its waters and so increase economic benefits for Pacific Islanders.

Innovative PNA measures include competitive fees for fishing in which days for fishing are traded and sold to the highest bidder.

They also want to encourage joint ventures, on-shore processing and the use of crew from PNA countries.

Last month the body opened an office in the Marshall Islands and appointed Dr Transform Aqorau as its director.

Source: Radio New Zealand

At present, the Australian cannery employs 260 people. The shifting would lead to loss in the jobs. However, the exact figures have not been released yet.

Mr. Paul Caica, the Regional Development Minister, has explained that the Government will offer assistance packages to workers affected by the phase out.

Source: Topnews.us

“This package would include skills recognition services but also amongst other things, affected employees would be eligible to receive up to ten thousand dollars for vocational education and training up to an advanced diploma level”, he said.

However, the CEO of the Tuna association, Mr. Brian Jeffrison said, “In periods where the Australian dollar has been very unfavorable to manufacturing in Australia, tuna farming has been able to carry other businesses through, but in this case tuna farming it’s profitability has been hit by the quota cut and that affects processing in Australia then it’s very difficult to carry it through”.

Port Lincoln’s Mayor, Peter Davis, said, “The real cream has long gone from the tuna farming game. That means that the fishermen who own the farmed tuna quota are not now able to subsidize their cannery so the tuna processing production lines have got to go”.