A fisherman in Sitka, Alaska, has made a rare catch, spearing a warm-water skipjack tuna directly in Crescent Harbor. The tuna, weighing 18 pounds and measuring 30 inches, was first spotted by local residents and quickly drew the attention of other anglers and biologists from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Jake Wieliczkiewicz, an area management biologist, confirmed that while seeing tuna in open water isn't unusual, finding one so close to shore in Sitka is extremely rare and "definitely piqued our interest."

Local fisherman, Jason Own, 25, harvested the fish with a speargun. His feat was met with cheers from the crowd of onlookers. The tuna's appearance may be linked to the unseasonably warm weather the area has experienced, with ocean temperatures being higher than normal. According to Troy Tydingco, a Sitka area management biologist, this "warm band of temperature doesn't often come close to shore in Southeast Alaska."

The fisherman fully utilized his prize catch, cooking and using every part of the tuna, including the head and spine.

In an effort to curb illegal fishing in the South Atlantic, the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and ICCF-UK are co-sponsoring a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrat Conference on September 21. The event, titled "Protecting the Blue Frontier: Combating unregulated fishing in the South Atlantic," will be held at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

MLA John Birmingham will be representing the Falkland Islands. Click on the image to enlarge it

The meeting will feature prominent speakers, including Dr. Roz Savage MBE MP, Dr. Al Pinkerton MP, MLA John Birmingham of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, and Lucy Kay of Open Seas.

This collaboration highlights the shared goal of protecting marine ecosystems from illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a major threat to the region's sustainability. The Falkland Islands' economy is heavily dependent on a healthy fishery, making this a critical issue for the local government and its partners. The conference provides a crucial platform to discuss solutions and raise awareness among politicians and conservation experts.

Source: MercoPress

This week, in the European Parliament, a coalition of leading organizations from the fisheries and aquaculture sector (*), including the European Federation of Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), formally launched a joint proposal calling for the development of an EU Action Plan for Blue Food by 2026. This proposal is based on the understanding that blue food, from fisheries and aquaculture, offers a strategic opportunity to address the challenges of food security, nutritional value, climate resilience, public health, socioeconomic prosperity, and livelihoods in Europe, as well as to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Loch Duart has clinched the prize for Best Fish and Seafood Product at the Scotland Food & Drink awards, for its own brand smoked salmon offerings, launched just a few months ago.

At the Scotland Food & Drink awards in Glasgow, Loch Duart was declared the winner in the Seafood category.

Mark Warrington, Managing Director of Loch Duart Salmon said: “We’d like to thank Scotland Food & Drink and the judges for choosing Loch Duart smoked salmon as Fish and Seafood Product of the year. We are very proud of our new smoked salmon range, which was launched earlier this year and is already a favourite with top chefs and restaurants around the world.

Author: Robert Outram / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here

The Marine Institute’s Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) have published the Irish Maritime Transport Economist report for 2024 and the key takeaway from this report is that 2024 was a year of growth for the Irish Maritime sector.

The IMDO’s iShip index grew by 2% following a sharp decline in 2023. This was driven in part by a rise in bulk traffic through our ports, particularly dry bulk, where seven out of nine dry bulk ports recorded growth. In the liquid bulk market, volumes declined by 8%, driven almost entirely by a fall in exported products. However, Ireland’s imports of liquid bulk products, such as transport fuel and home heating oil, remain remarkably stable. 

Source: Fish Focus | Read the ful article here

The Vigo fishing sector defends the environmental and social sustainability of its fleet in the Southwest Atlantic.

Vigo—In relation to the information campaign initiated by the NGO EJF regarding cephalopod fisheries in the Southwest Atlantic, ARVI would like to state that the fleets of Spanish companies, with both Spanish and Southwest Atlantic area country flags, operate respectfully with regard to current environmental and social measures.

ARVI agrees on the need for the EU to adopt the necessary measures to effectively prevent the entry of fisheries products obtained through forced labor and poor environmental practices, which in the case of the Southwest Atlantic are those caught by fleets with Asian capital operating in the area.

In addition, and as it has been proposing for several years, ARVI is fully in favor of taking the necessary steps in the Southwest Atlantic to create a Regional Fisheries Organization that can sustainably manage all fishing activity, reaching the levels of those deployed by the fleets represented in ARVI.

Sales of tinned fish in the U.S. continue to enjoy steady growth, partly thanks to ongoing social media trends that are helping to grow Americans’ awareness of the value and quality of the product.

One of the many suppliers benefitting from the growth of sustainable, premium tinned seafood is Dover, New Hampshire, U.S.A.-based EcoFish, which owns the Freshé and Henry & Lisa’s Natural Seafood brands.

EcoFish Founder and President Henry Lovejoy told SeafoodSource that the firm’s success stems from its original goal of bringing “European-quality” tinned seafood to U.S. shores.

Author: Christine Blank / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here