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The suspension of certain fisheries controls on the high seas during lockdown will compromise the protection of marine species in the future. In an attempt to protect fishing crew and coastal communities during COVID-19, there has been widespread relaxation of [...]

A 40-year old Kiribati observer was recently found dead in his cabin on board a Taiwanese tuna purse seiner. Given the particularities of the death, the local authorities opened a murder investigation. Now, WWF claims that the death of the [...]

"The death of Kiribati fishery observer Eritar Aati Kaierua is promoting calls for reforms to fishery observer programs in the Pacific. Kaierua was found dead aboard the Win far No. 636, which is flagged to Taiwan, as the vessels was en route to [...]

Many people trust that the fish they buy with the MSC blue label are sustainably caught and that destructive fishing methods, high levels of bycatch, dolphin encirclement, or even illegal finning of sharks are excluded. In reality, many fisheries are [...]

The paper in Marine Policy describes more facts and the risks observers face   while on board of fishing vessels. Download PDF 

The EU Fisheries Commissioner has been warned by members of the scientific community that Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna is being overfished by the industrial fleet of the EU. In 2016, IOTC adopted an interim plan for rebuilding the yellowfin stock, [...]

On the 25th of March, the MSC published their Fisheries Certification Process V2.2 and the Pre-assessment reporting template V3.2. WWF criticized the lack of reforms made to the Certification Process saying "WWF will continue to both advocate for improvement by the MSC and [...]

PNA has not explained how it will continue its MSC operations without any observers - 100% observer coverage is required to verify free-school catches and to ensure compliance with the shark finning ban. https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2020/03/26/western-pacific-tuna-fleet-asks-pna-to-operate-without-observers-as-pandemic-hits/

The draft assessment report is now available for commenting. Stakeholders who want to submit comments should contact SCS Global service no later than 5pm GMT, 25 May 2020. WPSTA Western and Central Pacific skipjack and yellowfin free-school purse seine assessment documents. The [...]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no IOTC observers will be deployed on fishing vessels. However, this will not prevent the continuation of fishing operations and at-sea transshipment activities under the established structure of the ROP. On 31 March the fishing [...]