ISSF Releases Position Statement to More Effective FAD Management

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) published a position statement ahead of the 3-5 February Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Special Session urging the IOTC to adopt conservation and management measures surrounding fish aggravating devices (FAD).

ISSF is calling for greater effort in the Indian Ocean to monitor FAD use more effectively, while supporting the adoption of science-based FAD management. Marine debris caused by the devices and FADs ending up on the beach, shark and non-species bycatch, and other detrimental ecosystem impacts need to be reduced, ISSF said in a statement. 

The ISSF called on the IOTC to adopt several initiatives regarding FADs, including science-based limits on FAD deployment, requiring the use of biodegradeable materials in construction, developing marking guidelines for FADs, developing tracking guidelines, and more.  Continue reading here (Source: SeafoodSource).

Tuna Becomes A Billion-Dollar Export for First Time In Vietnam

Despite a sharp fall in exports before the end of 2022 due to global inflation, tuna still brought home US$1 billion (RM4.25 billion) in revenue last year, up 34% from 2021, becoming a billion-dollar commodity for the first time for Vietnam, data showed.

Tuna products of Vietnam were shipped to 99 markets, of which the US, the EU, members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Israel, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the Philippines, and Egypt were the largest importers, accounting for 92% of total exports, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Germany, Spain, and Belgium were the biggest EU buyers of Vietnamese tuna. Notably, shipments to Germany and Spain shot up 161% and 117% last December, respectively. Continue reading here (Source: TheStar).

US Retail Seafood Outlook More Positive for Second Half of 2023

While 2022 was a challenging year for retail seafood sales due to inflation amongst other problems, retailers and analysts are optimistic for a brighter 2023.

Fresh seafood sales across retail outlets dropped 8.2 percent to USD 6.5 billion (EUR 6 billion) for the year ending 1 January, according to IRI and 210 Analytics. Frozen seafood realized a much smaller decline, falling 2.9 percent to around USD 7.1 billion (EUR 6.6 billion).

Shelf-stable seafood was the star of the year, sporting a sales hike of 5.6 percent to around US 2.67 billion (EUR 2.5 billion). Continue reading here (Source: SeafoodSource).

Shark-Fishing Gear Banned Across Much of Pacific in Conservation Win

Industrial-scale fishers will no longer be able to use two types of shark-fishing gear in the western and central Pacific Ocean after the international body in charge of tuna fisheries there agreed to ban the devices.

The measure, adopted last week at the annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), is seen as a major and potentially precedent-setting win for conservationists who say urgent action is needed to stave off extinction for many shark populations. Shark numbers in the open ocean have plunged by an estimated 71% in the past half-century, with humans thought to kill 100 million of the animals each year. Continue reading here (Source: Thr Good Men Project).