India and the Maldives are coming together to improve tuna fishing and processing activities. Last Friday, both nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral collaboration in the tuna and other seafood sectors.

The deal was made during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Maldives for the archipelago’s 60th Independence Day celebrations. Several MoUs were signed, out of which one was inked between India’s Department of Fisheries and the Maldivian Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources. The agreement will help the island nation scale up its fish processing capabilities and strengthen sustainable tuna fishing. Additionally, it will provide India with enhanced access to deep-sea fisheries resources in the strategically important Indian Ocean region, reported Indian news sites. However, details on how this would be taken forward are yet to be revealed.

The American Samoa StarKist cannery wants to diversify its products and is betting on the massive demand for pet food globally. CEO Edward Min confirmed StarKist’s plans to add a pet food production line, which will include byproduct tuna. The operation is expected to increase production volumes, create additional jobs, and gradually expand the export figures, reported Talanei. However, further details about the pet production line are yet to be revealed by the company.

Last week, Atuna reported how American Samoa’s economy is largely reliant on the Dongwon Industries-owned StarKist. The plant is the largest private employer in the territory with over 2,000 workers and is a vital source of employment, exports, and revenue. Dongwon began shipping cat food that includes a variety of tuna pet meals to the US at the beginning of this year under its Nutriplan brand.

The Maldives Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources recently confirmed that 22 FADs were installed over a period of two years for its pole-and-line fisheries. Out of these, 12 were placed in 2024, and 10 this year. Currently, there are 101 FADs deployed in this fishery in and around the Maldivian EEZ. A new government came into power in 2023 and implemented a FAD deployment plan to expand marine infrastructure strategically, aimed at improving access to productive fishing grounds across the country, reported local news sites. According to the Ministry, the initiative reflects a continuing commitment to modernizing the fishing sector and to the well-being of coastal communities who rely on pole-and-line operations.

The newly added FADs would strengthen the existing network of devices: 65 units for pole-and-line tuna fishing, and 36 for sports and reef fishing. More devices would be deployed in other parts of the archipelago by the end of this year.