Thailand is the World Leader for Canned Tuna

Thailand exported 221,092 tons of canned tuna during the first five months of 2024, an increase of 19.39% compared to the same period last year. 

The exports were valued at $978.56 million, a growth of 13.40%.

In 2023, Thailand exported 445,000 tons of canned tuna, down 13.42% year on year, valued at $2,087.30 million, down 9.34% YoY. Continue reading here (Source: The Nation).

Frabelle Unveils Newest Tuna Seiner Vessel to Support Growth

Frabelle Fishing Corp., a leading global fishing group, unveiled Red Robin 88, the newest addition to its tuna purse seiner fleet.

The vessel is expected to boost the company’s fishing capacity in the Western Pacific Ocean and support the growth of the Philippine tuna canning industry.

“The deployment of Philippine-flagged Red Robin 88 in the Western Pacific is expected to increase Frabelle Fishing’s annual tuna catch by at least 8,000 metric tons, most of which will be delivered to canneries in General Santos City,” said Frabelle president Floyd Tiu Laurel. Continue reading here (Source: Manila Standard).

Council Reviews Annual Fishery Reports: Trends, Challenges and Future Plans in the Western Pacific

Council members reviewed detailed reports on the 2023 performance of federally managed fisheries in the Western Pacific region. This annual Stock Assessment and Fisheries Evaluation (SAFE) report consistently observed catch increases across a range of open ocean and bottomfish species, continued high fuel prices, shark depredation and increased sea surface temperature across the U.S. Pacific Islands.

This report is developed by the Council’s archipelagic and pelagic plan teams, comprised of federal, territorial, state and Council scientists. Continue reading here (Source: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council).

China's Distant-Water Fishing Fleet Sending More of its Catch Back Home, Rather than Processing Locally

More than 70 percent of the catch hauled in by China’s distant-water fishing fleet was shipped back to China for processing in 2022, according to a report from research consultancy Bee Data.

Some 2,551 Chinese distant-water vessels caught 2.32 million metric tons (MT) of seafood in 2022, up from 2.03 million MT in 2014, though the country’s distant-water catch accounted for only 3.3 percent of China’s overall seafood production; the Bee Data insight also doesn’t indicate if catches from Chinese-operated fishing firms registered in other countries were included in the totals. Squid, at 33 percent, and tuna, at 14.8 percent, made up the bulk of the catch by volume, according to Bee Data. Continue reading here (Source: SeafoodSource).

Response to "Island Voices" on AmSam Fisheries

In a recent “Island Voices” column that appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, several inaccuracies and presumptions were made about American Samoa and its economy (“American Samoa deserves to thrive as fishing shifts,” April 28).

The authors made those statements in support of an initiative to permanently close the last remaining U.S. waters in the central equatorial Pacific to commercial fishing. As an indigenous Samoan and resident of American Samoa, I am compelled to respond. Continue reading here (Source: Samoa News).