Status of Tuna Fisheries and Stocks
in the Western and Central Pacific
Ocean
Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP)
Overview
• Summary of fishery trends through 2011,
with some indicators for 2012
• Status of the stocks
–Main tuna stocks
–Other stock assessments from 2012
• WCPFC (and other) responses
WCPFC Convention Area
WCP-CA Tuna Catch by Gear
2,800,000
PURSE SEINE
OTHER
2,400,000
POLE-AND-LINE
LONGLINE
1,600,000
1,200,000
800,000
400,000
2010
2008
2006
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
1988
1986
1984
1982
1980
1978
1976
1974
1972
1970
1968
1966
1964
1962
0
1960
Catch (mt)
2,000,000
WCP-CA Purse Seine Fishery
2,000,000
YELLOWFIN
60,000
50,000
DAYS
1,200,000
40,000
30,000
800,000
20,000
400,000
10,000
2011
2008
2005
2002
1999
1996
1993
1990
1987
1984
1981
1978
1975
1972
1969
1966
0
1963
0
1960
Catch (mt)
BIGEYE
Estimated Effort (days)
SKIPJACK
1,600,000
PS Effort from VMS
20N – 20S, excluding domestic PS effort for ID and PH
70,000
VMS 'fishing' days
60,000
50,000
2009
40,000
2010
30,000
2011
20,000
2012
10,000
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2011 versus 2012
2011
La Niña
2012
-> El Niño
Trends in PS CPUE into 2012
45
TUNA CPUE (Left axis)
Logsheet Trip Length (Right axis)
10
15
TUNA CPUE (MT/Day)
VMS Trip Length (Right axis)
40
20
35
25
30
30
25
35
20
40
15
2005-1 2005-7 2006-1 2006-7 2007-1 2007-7 2008-1 2008-7 2009-1 2009-7 2010-1 2010-7 2011-1 2011-7 2012-1 2012-7
45
Preliminary PS catch estimate for 2012 – 1.66 million t
Trip Length (Days)
50
WCP-CA Longline Fishery
250,000
BIGEYE
ALBACORE
YELLOWFIN
7,500,000
HHOOKS
150,000
5,000,000
100,000
2,500,000
50,000
0
0
1950
1953
1956
1959
1962
1965
1968
1971
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
Catch (mt)
200,000
10,000,000
Estimated Effort (hundred hooks)
300,000
WCP-CA Longline Fishery
140E
150E
160E
170E
180
170W
160W
150W
140W
130E
140E
150E
160E
170E
180
170W
160W
150W
140W
10N
10N
20N
20N
30N
30N
130E
30S
30S
20S
20S
10S
10S
0
0
WCP-CA Longline Fishery
140E
150E
160E
170E
180
170W
160W
150W
140W
130E
140E
150E
160E
170E
180
170W
160W
150W
140W
10N
10N
20N
20N
30N
30N
130E
30S
30S
20S
20S
10S
10S
0
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
CPUE (kg/100 hooks)
25
20
15
10
5
CPUE (kg/100 hooks)
30
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
CPUE (kg/100 hooks)
WCP-CA Longline Fishery
Yellowfin
Bigeye
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Albacore
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Status of Stocks Summary
Main tunas
Skipjack
1,800,000
Other
1,600,000
Purse seine
1,400,000
Pole-and-line
1,200,000
Longline
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
2008
2004
2000
1996
1992
0
2010
2005
1980
1988
2000
1975
1984
1995
1970
1980
1990
1965
1976
1985
1960
1972
1955
0
1950
Catch (tonnes)
2,000,000
Adult biomass (tonnes)
• Approximately 1.6 million tonnes in
2010, dominated by purse seine,
reduction in 2011, record catch
likely in 2012
• Stock decreasing slowly – now
about 50% depletion from
unexploited level
• Current catches now about MSY
• Outlook: stock falling to near MSY
level, 25% of unexploited level
Yellowfin
700,000
Other
600,000
Pole-and-line
400,000
Longline
300,000
200,000
100,000
2010
2005
2000
1995
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
1965
1955
1960
0
1950
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
Catch (tonnes)
Purse seine
500,000
Adult biomass (tonnes)
• Catch plateaued since late 1990s
in spite of increasing PS and LL
effort
• Full exploitation potential of
yellowfin has been reached
• Stock has decreased steadily
• Now approaching 60% depletion
from unexploited level
Bigeye
200,000
180,000
Other
160,000
Purse seine
140,000
Pole-and-line
120,000
Longline
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
2010
2005
2000
1995
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
1965
1960
1955
1950
0
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
Adult biomass (tonnes)
Catch (tonnes)
• Catch has levelled out over past 10
years
• Mainly longline catch of adults
• Recent increase in purse seine
catch with FAD introduction
• Biomass has declined steadily
• Very high level of depletion,
approaching 80%
• Issues with assessment indicating
increased productivity post-1980
South Pacific Albacore
Catch (tonnes)
80,000
Other
70,000
Troll
60,000
Longline
50,000
Driftnet
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
0
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
Adult biomass (tonnes)
• Fishery is mainly longline,
catching adult albacore
• Catch has doubled since 1995,
30% increase in 2010 over 2009
• Biomass has declined steadily
since mid-1960s
• Stock depletion due to fishing is
~ 30%
• current catches approaching MSY
90,000
Stock Status Overview
• All four stocks at or
near their lowest
observed biomass
level
Stock Status Overview
% reduction from unexploited
90
80
70
Albacore
Bigeye
Skipjack
60
Yellowfin
50
40
30
20
10
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Other Species
• Southwest Pacific striped marlin
– Close to MSY in terms of fishing
mortality and biomass
• Oceanic whitetip shark
– Strongly overfished, spawning biomass
<10% of unexploited level
• Silky shark
– Some uncertainties, but probably
overfished with overfishing continuing
WCPFC Responses
• Tropical tuna CMM (interim measures for 2013)
– PS effort limited to:
• 2010 levels for PNA EEZs collectively
• 2010 or 2001-2004 average for other EEZs with >1,000 days
PS effort annually in 2006-2010
• Other EEZs – self-nominated effort or catch limits
• No increase in effort on the high seas
– FAD closure (3 mo) + 1 mo additional closure or limits
on FAD set numbers by flag
– Longline bigeye catch limits for DWFNs
WCPFC Responses
• South Pacific Albacore CMM (2010)
– No increase in vessels targeting albacore south of
20⁰S from 2005 or 2000-2004 average levels
– SPC members working in a FFA process on
comprehensive zone-based catch limits, but
agreement has stalled
WCPFC Responses
• Oceanic Whitetip CMM
– No retention or landing, including fins
– Live release where possible
• Whale Shark CMM
– Prohibition of deliberate PS setting on schools
associated with whale sharks
– Where inadvertent setting occurs, take all steps to
ensure safe release