Key trends:

• Preliminary figures indicate that both overall purse seine fishing days and VDS day usage rose slightly in March, although fishing intensity (fishing days/calendar day) remained steady. Note that March figures may be adjusted as NFDs are processed.
• Total purse seine catch (EEZs+HS) rose in March, up by around 14% on the February total. Higher catch was largely driven by increases in SKJ volume, with YFT catches remaining relatively stable. Catch and effort remained broadly concentrated in the west, with catches highest in PNG and SB.
• Based on preliminary figures, overall catch rates rose slightly in March. SKJ catch rates rose slightly, while catch rates of large YFT continued to fall.
• Transhipment volumes rose, up by around 30% on February volumes. Transhipments were highest in PNG, accounting for around 46% of total volume.
• Bangkok SKJ prices averaged $1900 in March, up from $1650 in February, according to Thai Union figures. Singapore MGO price contiued it’s sharp rise in March, averaging $1,080/mt.
• Amongst key SE Asian processing countries, new case numbers in Vietnam have fallen sharply from over 250,000 new cases per/day in mid March to around 50,000/day in mid-April. Thailand’s new daily case numbers have levelled out at around 24,000/day, while cases in Philippines, Indonesia and Ecuador have fallen to low levels. Amongst PNA Parties, case numbers remain high in the Solomons, but have fallen in Kiribati. Nauru recorded its first 3 confirmed COVID cases in early April.

Find attached the covid19 detailed and updated reports;