Challenges and Status of Pacific Tuna Fisheries
The Western and Central Pacific Tuna Fishery faces various challenges due to overfishing, with key tuna stocks like skipjack, yellowfin, albacore, and bigeye being at risk. The fishery is valued at billions of dollars, but unsustainable practices threaten its long-term viability. Main challenges include the need for fishing limits, particularly in the PNA vessel days scheme. Additionally, reducing purse seine catches of bigeye and maintaining profitable domestic longline fisheries for albacore are crucial issues that need to be addressed.
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Western and Central Pacific Tuna Fishery: Status and Challenges
WCPO Tuna Fishery 2.7 million tonnes, landed value USD 5-7 billion 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 Catch (tonnes) Billfish Yellowfin 1,500,000 Skipjack Bigeye 1,000,000 Albacore 500,000 0 1960 1986 2012 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
Pacific Tuna Fisheries 60% of catch in PICT EEZs, value USD 3-4 billion 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 Catch (tonnes) High Seas 1,500,000 Other EEZs PICT EEZs 1,000,000 500,000 0 1996 2009 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013
Status of Tuna Stocks Skipjack: 50% of unexploited stock size, catches near MSY. No increase. Yellowfin: 38% of unexploited stock size, catches near MSY. No increase. Albacore: 58% of unexploited stock size, catches approaching MSY. But fisheries not profitable. Reduce catches. Bigeye: 16% of unexploited stock size, catches exceed MSY. Reduce catches.
Main Challenges Limits are required! PNA vessel days scheme 70,000 Purse seine days fishing & 60,000 50,000 searching HS 40,000 OTH EEZ 30,000 PNA AW 20,000 PNA EEZ 10,000 0
Main Challenges Limits are required! PNA vessel days scheme Meanwhile More purse seiners are being built Indonesia is bullish on expansion plans China continues to expand subsidised longliners in the South Pacific
Two Key Issues 1. Reducing the purse seine catch of bigeye while minimising economic impact on the fishery PURSE SEINE CATCH Bigeye Skipjack Yellowfin Longline Pole-and-line 2,000,000 Purse seine FAD Purse seine school Other Catch (tonnes) 1,500,000 100 Impact on stock 80 1,000,000 60 40 500,000 20 0 0 2006 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2008 2010 2012
Two Key Issues 2. Catching albacore at a level that maintains profitable domestic longline fisheries SOUTH PACIFIC ALBACORE CATCH ALBACORE CPUE Longline Troll China Taiwan PICT CPUE (kg per 100 hooks) 100,000 70 Catch (tonnes) 60 80,000 50 60,000 40 30 40,000 20 20,000 10 0 0 1989 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 1985 1987 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
