Latest news with #TonyLong
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Struggling Businesses Looking Forward to Business Boom on Mother's Day
WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A busy Mother's Day weekend could help several local businesses who are struggling to pick back up. Some owners are thanking those who choose to invest in their local economy this weekend. 'We've definitely seen an increase in reservations and bookings for this weekend,d especially in comparison to the past few weeks since all these tariffs have been put into place,' says Tony Long, Owner of Tribeca Gastro Bar & Grill. More than half of Americans will spend their Sunday celebrating Mom by dining out at restaurants. From brunch to dinner, avoiding the mess in the kitchen ensures a stress-free day for those wanting to thank them for all they do. 'I certainly recommend a reservation, it's going to be tough on Sunday to get in right now. You can get a reservation by calling or going online. We're using our full menu and we have a nice Mother's Day special which includes a bottle of wine and four tapas for $80.00', says Long. Business owners say holiday weekends like these are a big help to their business, especially after the president's recent actions on tariffs. 'We haven't seen an increase in our cost of goods come through, but we've seen a decrease in guest count. Check averages have been affected. People are certainly more hesitant, and it seems to be across the board; all the shop owners I speak with in this area downtown share similar stories,' says Long. Westfield's Friday night concert series kicks off June 20. People are encouraged to attend with friends and family. 'Besides Tribeca, there are so many things to come and see and do in downtown Westfield. Small local independently owned shops, boutiques, and other restaurants here have so much to offer. There is a lot of art and entertainment down here. Westfield is the new hotspot,' says Long. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Panama Takes Aim at ‘Invisible' Owners in Fight Against Illegal Fishing
At the Our Ocean Conference, Global Fishing Watch CEO Tony Long applauds Panama's commitment to ultimate beneficial ownership BUSAN, Republic of Korea, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Government of Panama today strengthened its commitment to a transparent and sustainable ocean future by announcing new efforts to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). The announcement, made at Our Ocean Conference, in Busan, Republic of Korea, spotlights Panama's ambitions to establish clearer and more accessible vessel ownership records through improved data collection and digitization processes. In this manner, Panama is taking critical steps towards achieving ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) transparency and ensuring increased accountability of its fleet and better ocean governance. Ultimate beneficial ownership — the ability to identify the true individuals profiting from fishing operations — is a cornerstone of effective and transparent ocean governance. It is especially important in the advancement of our sustainable ocean goals. But a lack of transparency in UBO is currently undermining global efforts to manage marine resources sustainably and equitably. Indeed, this is one of the reasons why UBO is a fundamental pillar of the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency's Global Transparency Charter. Without access to UBO information, Flag States are frequently unable to effectively sanction the person or people that actually benefit from the breaking of fisheries laws, particularly when vessels operate through opaque corporate structures. This allows unscrupulous actors to evade accountability, threaten marine biodiversity and negatively impact the livelihoods of those fishers who do follow the rules. Worse still, enforcement often targets vessel crew and operators rather than the true beneficiaries, perpetuating cycles of exploitation without addressing root causes. Through its renewed ambition, Panama has signalled that it is now working to strengthen due diligence by verifying vessel ownership and reviewing UBO information as part of license granting procedures. By standardizing and automating these processes, and aligning with international best practices, Panama is ushering in a new era of accountability at a crucial time. But Panama's commitment is not just good news for Panama — it's a powerful example of good ocean governance for other countries too. As we look ahead to the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in June, Member States have an opportunity to follow Panama's example and lead a transparency revolution in ocean governance. By embedding UBO requirements into national legislation and international agreements, the global community can take a decisive step toward ending IUU fishing and ensure the fair, sustainable use of our ocean's resources. Attachments Panama Takes Aim at 'Invisible' Owners in Fight Against Illegal Fishing Panamá apunta a los propietarios «invisibles» en la lucha contra la pesca ilegal CONTACT: Andrew Zaganelli Giacalone Global Fishing Watch +49 01626570109 in to access your portfolio
