This publication includes 40 papers and two abstracts of papers presented at the Second FAO Expert Consultation on Pacific Tuna Fisheries, held in Shimizu, Japan, from 23 to 31 January 1995. The objectives of the consultation were to review and integrate the outcome of studies on tuna fisheries interactions; to summarize the extent of tuna fisheries interactions and unresolved research problems; and to formulate guidelines for research on tuna fisheries interactions. Topics covered by the papers presented in this publication include: reviews of tuna fisheries interactions and research on the interactions, including methods for their study; new methods for studying tuna fisheries interactions and examination of their applicability; case-studies on tuna fisheries interactions; analyses of tuna fisheries involved in interactions and their management; and an overview of the FAO project that co-organized and co-sponsored the consultation. The consultation noted that the number of quantified interactions is still small, primarily because of difficulties associated with evaluating them. Interactions were found to vary in significance depending on the biological characteristics of the species involved, the sizes of fish caught, the local and stock-wide rates of exploitation and the distance among fisheries. In many of the studies presented, the inadequacy of fisheries data is stressed. In addition, the lack of understanding of the movements of the fish is noted in several papers. General qualitative guidelines presented in several discussion papers stress that specifically designed studies be undertaken to quantify interactions. Well-designed tagging experiments seem to provide the most reliable information about interactions. Guidelines for the collection of data, biological and ecosystem research, modelling and alternative methodologies for studying tuna fisheries interactions are also included. An indexed bibliography of papers on tuna and billfish tagging is appended.
