Preparation of this document

This publication contains papers presented at the Second FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries. The Consultation was hosted by the National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries in Shimizu, Japan from 23 to 31 January 1995. It was organized by the FAO Trust Fund Project “Cooperative Research on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries”, in close collaboration with regional and national institutions involved in tuna fisheries research in the Pacific (see the Acknowledgements)

The papers in this publication were prepared by members of TUNET, a network of ten Working Groups organized by the FAO Project. These Working Groups are composed of scientists of regional and national institutions studying tuna stocks and fisheries, mainly in the Pacific, but also in other oceans.

Distribution

FAO Fisheries Department

FAO Regional Fisheries Officers

FAO Fisheries Projects and Programmes

International Fisheries Organizations

National Fisheries Research Laboratories

Members of TUNET (FAO’s network of working groups studying tuna fisheries interactions in the Pacific)

Shomura, R.S. Majkowski, J. and R.F. Harman (eds.) Status of Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries. in 1995.Proceedings of the second FAO Expert Consultation Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries. Shimizu, Japan, 23-31 January 1995. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 365. Rome, FAO. 1996. 612p. ABSTRACT This publication includes forty 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 topics of the papers include: · reviews of tuna fisheries interactions and their research 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 FAO’s project that co-organized and co-sponsored the Consultation. A supplement of an indexed bibliography of papers on tuna and billfish tagging, which was printed separately, is also included. The objectives of the Consultation were to: · review and integrate the outcome of the studies on tuna fisheries interactions, · summarize the extent of tuna fisheries interactions and unresolved research problems, and · formulate guidelines for research on tuna fisheries interactions. The understanding of tuna fisheries interactions was enhanced significantly by recent studies. However, the Consultation noted that the number of quantified interactions is still small due primarily to difficulties associated with evaluating such interactions. The papers providing supporting information for the conclusions of the Consultation are presented in this publication. 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 was stressed. In addition, the lack of understanding of movements of the fish being studied was noted in several papers. General qualitative guidelines presented in several discussion papers stressed that specifically-designed studies be undertaken to adequately quantify interactions. Well-designed tagging experiments were thought 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.