• Based on preliminary figures the overall purse seine fishing effort decreased in Jan as fishing intensity (fishing days/calendar day) in HS noticeably reduced while only marginally declined in EEZs.
  • Total purse seine catch (EEZs+HS) remained relatively high despite the decrease in overall effort as the improvement in overall catch rate outpaced the decline in effort.
  • Effort shifts across zones showed continued overall decline of concentration in the east, evident since Nov ’23, with Jan KI and HS combined share of total effort down to 47% and have reduced further to 41% as at mid-Feb. Effort shifts across zones saw increases in FM, MH, NR and TK and decreases in KI, PG, SB and TV.
  • Overall catch rate improved 7% to 39t/day with the highest in TK and PG as catch rates also increased in FM, KI and NR that more than offset the declines in MH, SB and TV. HS catch rate was stable. Nonetheless, the overall and SKJ catch rates have been on downtrends from the peaks in Oct. 
  • Reported total transhipped volume remained high as in the previous month at almost 87,000t with Majuro and PG ports the major ports of transhipping.
  • Bangkok SKJ prices in Jan as reported by Thai Union declined further to $1,400/mt from Dec. The Singapore MGO price edged up to an average $781/mt and the differential between the prices reduced further by 10%.
  • El Nino conditions reportedly have weakened slightly as of Dec ’23 and NOAA predicts return of neutral conditions in the April quarter and La Nina by the third quarter. The weakening of La Nina conditions is most likely associated with the recent months broad trends of effort shift and catch rates.
     
Past Monthly Reports