After two months of being idle, US fishing boats have this week started moving to their Pacific tuna fishing grounds.
tuna on the deck of a Pacific fishing vessel Photo: Giff Johnson
The impact of both the recent increase in world market prices for skipjack tuna and the re-licensing of United States purse seine vessels has prompted the move.
Our Marshall Islands' correspondent said in mid-January, a record 38 purse seiners were anchored in Majuro Lagoon but with departures this week that number was down to 14.
Majuro has become the busiest tuna transshipment port in the western Pacific over the past two years and the number of vessels there is seen as an indication of the level of purse seine fishing activity.
Earlier this month the US fleet re-entered the market after being idle for two months, following the collapse of the tuna treaty.
With a new deal for a reduced number of fishing days vessels are now heading back to the western and central Pacific.