• Based on preliminary figures (and revised data), Oct saw increases in overall purse seine fishing effort and total catch, while the overall catch rate only slightly increased. Fleet concentration remained heaviest in the west as La Nina phased in.
  • Overall effort rose 7% to 3,767 days in Oct with highest concentrations in PG and FM (56% combined) while KI and HS also accounted for a sizable portion (34%). Overall fishing intensity in Oct in EEZs increased by 3% while intensity in HS rose 7%. Early data for Nov showed broadly similar concentrations as in Oct but with slight shifts within zones.
  • The overall average daily catch rate in Oct was 31t (+1% on Sep) with highest rate in HS (37t) followed by PG. Improved catch rates only occurred in HS, PG, NR and PW. By species, SKJ dropped to 25t (-6%) while large YFT catch rate almost doubled to about 4t. Early Nov data showed a lower overall catch rate of 24t with catch rates for SKJ at 19t and large YFT at just more than 2t.
  • The Oct overall catches increased by 9% to 118,228t due mainly to the doubling in large YFT catch with contributions also from small YFT and large BET increases of more than 20% each while SKJ only slightly increased (1%). PG, FM and KI accounted for 73% of total catch and HS about 20%.
  • Reported total transshipped volume increased 11% to almost 74,000t, mostly through PG (58%).
  • Bangkok SKJ prices in Oct as reported by Thai Union stood at $1,670/mt (+4%) while the Singapore MGO average price rose to $715/mt (+6%). The SKJ and MGO price differential increased further at above the long-term differential average.
  • La Niña phased in during Oct with SSTs strengthening at below average across the central and eastern Pacific and predictions are for La Nina to persist through to Dec-Feb 2025-26, transitioning to ENSO-neutral in Jan-Mar 26 (61% chance).
Monthly Updates