Saving Seafood

Deep Ocean Sound Confused Scientists For Years. We Finally Know What Makes It.

September 27, 2024 — A mysterious sound heard booming from deep under the ocean waves has finally been traced to a fascinating source.

First recorded in 2014 in the west Pacific, the “biotwang” is actually the call of the Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera brydei) traveling long distances in the open ocean. What’s more, the techniques used to identify the sound have led to the development of a new tool for understanding whale populations and how they move about in and inhabit Earth’s enigmatic seas.

“Bryde’s whales occur worldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters, but their population structure and movements are not well understood,” writes a team led by biological oceanographer Ann Allen of NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Hawaii.

“Our results provide evidence for a pelagic western North Pacific population of Bryde’s whales with broad distribution, but with seasonal and inter-annual variation in occurrence that imply a complex range most likely linked to changing oceanographic conditions in this region.”

Read the full article at Yahoo News!

Hawaii fishermen and scientists team up tagging ahi tuna

July 24, 2024 — Tuna researcher Molly Lutcavage has been working with fishermen for over two decades. “We were criticized for working with commercial fishermen. But how could you not work with commercial fishermen? They’re the experts,” she says. A veteran tuna researcher, Lutcavage is helping a team of fishermen and scientists in Hawaii to employ new tagging technology for ahi (yellowfin) tuna.

Nathan Abe, who fishes for ahi and other tuna species in the waters west of the Hawaii’s Big Island has been tagging the ahi tuna with a new HI tag, a small strip of plastic bearing an RFID chip. Developed by Tim Lam and Lutcavage, the HI tag in combination with a smartphone app will help fishermen and scientists learn more about the travels of the ahi tuna.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Huge Amount Of Marine Garbage Removed From Papahanaumokuakea

June 18, 2024 — A major trash cleanup by a nonprofit organization has concluded at Kuaihelani, also known as Midway Atoll, located in a marine national monument that is home to hundreds of endangered Hawaiian monk seals and 14 million seabirds representing 22 species.

Some 70,080 pounds of marine debris were hauled away and nearly 11 miles of shoreline cleaned up at Kuaihelani, located within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, according to a news release from Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project.

Some 35,100 pounds of derelict fishing nets, also known as ghost nets, were among the debris. Nearly 33,000 pounds of other marine garbage, such as buoys and floats, were also removed.

Read the full article at the Civil Beat

HAWAII: Increased fishing quota translates to abundant supply of New Year’s ahi

December 31, 2023 — New Year’s means fresh fish on the table for many Hawaii families.

Dozens of people flocked to Pier 38 at Honolulu Harbor Thursday morning to grab some sashimi and ahi ahead of the New Year’s festivities.

While prices vary, Michael Goto of the United Fishing Agency says there’s an abundant supply of bigeye tuna.

That’s because the Hawaii Longline Association got their quota limit increased by an international commission by up to 85%.

Read the full article at Hawaii News Now

Fiji aims for MSC certification for 75 percent of its longline vessels

June 15, 2017 — Fiji has pledged to pursue the goal of having at least 75 percent of all longline vessels that are members of the Fiji Fishing Industry Association working in fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Specifically, the South Pacific island nation will seek MSC certification for its longline yellowfin tuna fishery and will expand the definition of its fishing area to include three high seas next to the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Fiji already has achieved MSC certification for its albacore tuna longline fleet, which consists of 34 fishing vessels.

“60 percent of the Fijian population are coastal dwellers and hence, sustaining the wealth of our oceans is imperative for the socio-economic prosperity of our nation and people. Fiji’s significant commitment amongst the international community reaffirms our steadfastness in being responsible custodians of the oceans, fish stocks, marine life, and its ecosystem for generations to come,” Fiji Fishing Industry Association Executive Officer Anare Raiwalui said. “By certifying our fishing practices to the requirements of the MSC, the world’s highest and most credible science, evidence-based standard for sustainable fishing, Fiji is establishing a promising momentum as a forward-thinking nation, determined to deliver traceable, sustainable seafood.”

Raiwalui also said the Fijian commercial fishing industry believed that the MSC ecolabel will allow it to charge a premium price for the country’s seafood. Raiwalui’s announcement was made jointly with the Fijian Ministry of Fisheries, which said it joined in the commitment to seeking expanded MSC certification because it wished to ensure the health of the local marine environment and that it sees certification as a “critical incentive to ensure the traceability of vessels and fish species.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

E-commerce making Tokyo’s famed fish markets obsolete

June 14, 2017 — By the time Tokyo’s new auction site is up and running, it may be time to question if it is needed at all.

Even as the Tokyo government wrangles with the issue of moving the Tsukiji wholesale market to a new – and possibly polluted – location, innovative companies are forming more direct purchasing and marketing channels that bypass Tokyo’s central market.

Despite a strong tradition of Japanese consumers buying fish from markets in person, Japanese seafood sellers are taking advantage of the internet to match buyer and seller, use air links and refrigerated parcel delivery services, and, by cutting out the layers of middlemen, return a larger share of the consumer price to fishermen.

A seafood trading website called SCSS debuted in 2009 as a collaboration between Osaka-based Syunzai Ltd., a seafood dealer that also operates food sales websites, and Tokyo-based Mitsuiwa Corp., an IT development company. Delivery is arranged using the airline ANA and nationwide refrigerated and frozen parcel delivery is provided by Yamato Transport Co., Ltd.

The service connects buyers directly to about 1,500 fishing cooperatives and local brokers at ports, who are the sellers. The approximately 100 registered purchasers are retailers, foodservice distributors and brokers. SCSS operates as a trading platform, rather than actually taking ownership of the product.

The company makes its money from membership fees – it costs about JPY 100,000 (USD 898, EUR 804) to join, plus JPY 10,500 (USD 94, EUR 84) monthly, and from a two percent commission from sellers and an 11.5 percent from buyers. The most popular use of the site is in finding a home for non-target small-quantity bycatch for which the seller may have no sales channel.

Fishermen take digital photos or movies of the actual fish as they are landed and post them to the site. Buyers can view and bid on these in real-time. There are designated pickup locations for the parcel service at ports around Japan. The product arrives fresher than that which goes through the auction channel. As the sales are recorded electronically, traceability is ensured. The site processes payments, so buyers make a single payment to the site operator, even when they deal with multiple sellers.

Another service in a similar vein is Chihou Sousei Network Co. (CSN), headed by Ryohei Nomoto. The company air-freights freshly caught fish from across Japan to its processing facility on the grounds of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, and distributes the produce either within Tokyo or again by air. About 40 percent of the product is sent overseas.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

WESTPAC Calls For End To Monument, Sanctuary Fishing Restrictions

June 14, 2017 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has requested that the federal government consider reviewing the continued need for existing monument and sanctuary fishing restrictions, given the availability of federal regulations which manage fisheries in the US Pacific Islands.

The request was made in a recent letter signed by Council Chairman Edwin A. Ebisui Jr., and Council Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds to US Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur L. Ross, with copies of the letter sent to President Trump, leaders of two federal departments, and Governors of American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The letter claims that the establishment of National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments (MNM), under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) and the Antiquities Act, “are being hard-pressed by environmental activist groups to displace processes” under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) “that provide for the sustainable use of fishery resources while conserving vital marine resources.”

Read the full story at the Pacific Islands Report

Global Ghost Gear Initiative welcomes Pelagic Data Systems (PDS) as new member


June 2, 2017 — The following was released today by the Global Ghost Gear Initiative and Pelagic Data Systems:

Pelagic Data Systems (PDS) has joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) as a new member. GGGI and PDS, both finalists for the 2017 SeaWeb Seafood Champion Awards, will team up to align approaches and collaborate on projects to reduce ghost fishing gear and remove it from the world’s oceans.

Pelagic Data Systems deploys ultra-lightweight, solar-powered vessel tracking systems to help fishers and regulators collect valuable fishing data for boats of all sizes. PDS works extensively in Southeast Asia, Africa, and throughout the Americas, where its technology is used to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

As a participant in the GGGI, PDS will bring valuable field experience from fisheries in Indonesia and the Pacific, which will inform and support efforts by the GGGI to address ghost fishing in upcoming projects in those regions. Their technical experience will be invaluable in the current development of projects focused on the marking and tracking of fishing gear to enable gear recovery and reduce gear discards.

“We look forward to working together with the committed and talented array of GGGI members to develop creative solutions that support healthy fisheries and fishing communities, and reduce the detrimental impacts of ghost gear,” said Melissa Garren, Chief Scientific Officer at PDS.

Launched by World Animal Protection in 2015, the GGGI is a cross-sectoral alliance committed to driving solutions to the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear, known as ghost gear, worldwide. GGGI members collaborate to improve the health of marine ecosystems, protect marine animals, and safeguard human health and livelihoods. IUU fishing, which PDS works to combat, has been shown to contribute to the accumulation of ghost gear in the world’s oceans.

“We are so excited to have Pelagic Data Systems, with its innovativeness and technological leadership, join the Global Ghost Gear Initiative,” says Elizabeth Hogan of World Animal Protection and the GGGI. “The unique expertise they bring will augment the GGGI’s global efforts to mark and track lost fishing gear.”

Ghost gear is fishing equipment which has been abandoned or lost and is now causing harm to fisheries and ocean ecosystems. Each year, an estimated 640,000 tons of fishing gear is lost or abandoned in oceans, estuaries, and bays. Whether intentionally discarded or accidentally lost, this gear persists for hundreds of years, and it catches and wastes targeted marine species, entangles marine wildlife, adds to ocean waste, and presents additional expenses and hazards for fishers and marine communities.

PDS was founded in San Francisco in 2014 with the goal of increasing transparency and traceability in the global seafood supply chain. Its vessel tracking system, roughly the size of a typical smartphone, records a vessel’s location multiple times per minute, and automatically and securely transmits stored data within network range. Using this data, fishers and regulators can track vessel and fleet fishing activity, confirming the legality and location of catch and the type of gear that was used.

To learn more about the GGGI, visit www.ghostgear.org

To learn more about PDS, visit www.pelagicdata.com/

About Pelagic Data Systems:

Pelagic Data Systems (PDS) is the creator of ultra-lightweight vessel tracking systems for boats of all sizes. PDS’s innovative vessel tracking system is completely solar-powered and affordable, and helps fishers and regulators alike collect the fishing data that they value most. PDS is active in Southeast Asia, Africa, and throughout the Americas where its technology is being used to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and help fishers maintain their livelihoods.

About the Global Ghost Gear Initiative:

Founded in 2015 by World Animal Protection, the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) is a cross-sectoral alliance committed to driving solutions to the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear (ghost gear) worldwide. The GGGI aims to improve the health of marine ecosystems, protect marine animals, and safeguard human health and livelihoods. Members include TriMarine, Sainsbury’s, Young’s Seafood, Northern Prawn Fisheries, and the International Pole and Line Foundation.

Japan joins Port State Measures Agreement

May 24, 2017 — Japan has become the 48th country to join the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), a global treaty designed to help eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The treaty was ratified in June 2016 after it reached the threshold of 25 signatories. Since it went into effect, an additional 20 countries have become parties to PSMA, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Japan’s movement to become a part of the treaty is significant due to its large consumption of imported seafood – ranked third globally behind the European Union and the United States.

“The ratification of the agreement signifies a critical step in Japan’s efforts to close its ports to illegal fishers,” the Pew Charitable Trusts said in a statement.”

Tony Long, director of Pew’s Ending Illegal Fishing Project, delivered high praise Japan for its action.

“Japan is one of the world’s top fishery producers and has demonstrated a growing concern about illegal fishing in the past several years through its membership in all regional fisheries management organizations and its consistent support of catch documentation schemes and IUU fishing measures,” Long said. “Although fertile fishing grounds surround the country, its fishery production has been on the decline for the past few decades, making it more dependent on imports. Given Japan’s importance as both a fishing nation and consumer of seafood, its accession to the Port State Measures Agreement is an important step toward eliminating it both as a market and opportunity to land seafood that has been caught illegally.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Even in faraway US, Indonesian seafood enforcer wins acclaim

May 15, 2017 — A high school dropout turned seafood entrepreneur is leading Indonesia’s crackdown on illegal fishing, winning plaudits from conservationists and awards as far away as Washington despite her explosive methods.

A favorite tactic is seizing foreign fishing vessels and then blowing up the empty boats into smithereens to send a message to her country’s neighbors.

Susi Pudjiastuti, honored this week in Washington for her ecological work, has led the charge in destroying hundreds of fishing vessels in the past two years as the Indonesian government’s minister for maritime affairs and fisheries. Her efforts haven’t eliminated a problem that has plagued the archipelago nation for decades, she said, but they have boosted fish stocks and curbed smuggling.

Catches of anchovies, king prawns and yellow fin tuna are up, helping local fishermen and reducing food prices, Pudjiastuti said.

“What we actually earn also is respect,” Pudjiastuti said in the American capital, where she joined other recipients of the annual Peter Benchley Ocean Awards — named for the author of “Jaws.” She was cited for her efforts in protecting Indonesia’s marine ecosystem, and tackling poachers and organized crime.

“They cannot just do anything anymore,” Pudjiastuti added. Whereas 10,000 foreign vessels used to fish in Indonesian waters “like in their own country,” she said the new reality was clear: “Not anymore.”

For China and others in the region, sensitive politics also are at play. Indonesia’s uncompromising approach has irked neighbors whose boats have been caught up in the dragnet for operating in seas plagued by territorial disputes. The campaign may partly reflect Indonesia’s desire to show it is in control of its vast territory of 17,000 islands.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New York Times