The port of Majuro, Marshall Islands’ main transshipment area, had the second busiest month of 2024 in November. January was the highest. Last month, 23 tuna transfers from seiners to carrier vessels took place in this port, whereas it was 41 in January, reported Pacific Island news sites. Nauru-flagged seiners accounted for the most transshipments with seven, followed by the Taiwanese with six, and the Marshall Islands and Micronesia-flagged seiners with five each.

Catches in WCPO have been at high levels throughout most of 2024 and the transshipments were mostly carried out in Kosrae and Pohnpei (Micronesia), Tarawa (Kiribati), and further south in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea ports. This was because the seiner operations were concentrated close to the EEZs of these PNA nations.

The EU and UK reached an agreement earlier this week on fishing for over 88 total allowable catches (TACs) in the North-East Atlantic Ocean. This deal secures fishing opportunities for the EU fleet, which catches albacore in this part of the ocean and other seafood, for about 428,000 tons estimated to be worth EUR 1.4 billion. The UK does not have large industrial tuna vessels operating in the Atlantic.

The December 8 EU document stated that “each party will grant access to vessels of the other party in 2024 to target an initial of 280 tons of albacore in its EEZ. This total tonnage may be increased in-year by agreement between the parties.” The 2025 Thunnus albacares tonnages were not specified. Tuna and other fish stocks jointly managed by the EU and the UK are considered shared resources under international law following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in 2020 during Brexit. Both parties hold annual consultations to determine the overall TACs for the upcoming year under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) recently announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom last week in the Solomon Islands to “enhance regional cooperation to advance sustainable fisheries, maritime security and economic development.” The FFA and UK will now work together in the monitoring, controlling, and surveillance efforts in the tuna-rich WCPO to combat IUU fishing activities.

The agreement also aims to drive advancements in technology and innovation to improve fisheries management and maritime security. The two parties are yet to reveal how the projects will be implemented and the resources that will be put into use. FFA Director-General Noan Pakop said: “The MoU provides a useful framework for cooperation and collaboration between the FFA and UK and signifies our collective responsibility to ensure sustainable fisheries management to maintain a sustainable, healthy, and secure Pacific Ocean.”