There has been an outcry from conservationists and the Green Party in the UK after a Cornwall MP called for a catch-and-release bluefin fishery in the area. An increasing number of this tuna has been spotted in Cornish waters recently. The conservative MP, Derek Thomas, said that the fishery would help boost charter boat and recreational fishing industries as well as tourism, reported the news site Cornwall Live.

Matt Slater, Fisheries Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, pointed out the risks of the catch-and-release method now that bluefin have just returned to the region’s waters. He also said that bluefin stocks have only slightly improved and that “a more open fishery with less experienced people can change that.”

The Bahamas Maritime Authority's (BMA) latest cooperation has paved the way for the island nation to establish a fisheries cargo transshipment authorization program with the WCPFC. Many reefer carriers are flagged to the Bahamas and over the years the country has been under pressure to cooperate with the RFMO for implementing better regulations. This new initiative will allow such reefers to undertake high-seas transshipments for longliners in the WCPFC convention area.

The Bahamas was accorded the status of Cooperating Non-Member (CNM) with the WCPFC last year, which gives the island nation more impetus for better control of fishing-related activities.

In a lucky turn of events, seven fishermen were rescued yesterday while adrift among ropes and drums in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident occurred after the tuna longliner they were on capsized and eventually sank. Local media identified the vessel as ‘Yellowfin,’ which according to ICCAT records is a 22.86 m longliner flagged to the US.

Mexican authorities were notified of the fishermen's disappearance by their families on Thursday after they failed to arrive at the Veracruz port as scheduled. After a couple of hours, officials found them several miles from the coast. They were transferred to the Naval Hospital for medical evaluation.