Proceedings of the Second Meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee of the FAO Project Management of tuna fishing capacity: conservation and socio-economics Madrid (Spain), 15-18 March 2004

5. Catches by country

The world catches of the principal market species of tunas (other than southern bluefin) are shown in Figure 11. The catches of Japan have exceeded those of any other country throughout the second half of the 20th century, although they have leveled off since the mid-1980s. The catches of the United States were second to those of Japan until the mid-1980s, but after that its catches have been exceeded by those of the Taiwan Province of China and Indonesia. The catches of the Philippines and Mexico also increased considerably after the mid-1980s.

FIGURE 12
World catches (tonnes) of the principal market species of tunas (other than southern bluefin) by ocean by the top ten producers of tuna

FIGURE 13
World catches of swordfish, by ocean

The catches by the top ten tuna producers are individually plotted by oceans in Figure 12. Japan, the Taiwan Province of China and the Republic of Korea have tuna fisheries in all three oceans. The fisheries of the Taiwan Province of China and the Republic of Korea developed later than those of Japan, but in recent years the catches of the Taiwan Province of China have exceeded those of Japan in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Spain and France are major participants in the purse-seine fisheries of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and in recent years Spanish purse seiners have fished in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Vessels of Indonesia fish in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Vessels of the other countries, the United States, the Philippines, Mexico and Venezuela have fished mostly in the Pacific Ocean. During most of this period the catches of the United States were made mostly in the eastern Pacific Ocean, but more recently they have been made mostly in the western and central Pacific Ocean.

6. Swordfish fisheries

Swordfish is not one of the principal market species of tunas, so it is not included in most parts of this study. However, swordfish is one of the most important non-target species caught by most of the longliners that target tunas. Also, there are longliners that direct their effort at swordfish, either seasonally or throughout the year, by deploying longline gear specifically designed for the capture of swordfish.

The swordfish catches of the world, by oceans, are shown in Figure 13. The total annual catches increased from 1960 to the early 1990s. Since 1993, however, the catches have been stable at about 90 000 tonnes per year. The catches in the Atlantic Ocean exceeded those in the other two oceans combined until 1994. Even during the most recent years, the Atlantic catch has constituted about half of the world catch of swordfish. On the other hand, the catches of swordfish in the Pacific have been less than those in the other two oceans. The fishery for swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean has been subject to management measures, with quotas since 1991, adopted by the members of ICCAT, which is one of the major reasons that the catches have decreased during the last ten years.

Almost all the catch of swordfish is taken by longlines. Much lesser quantities are taken by harpoons, gillnets and unknown gears.

7. Conclusions

It is hoped that the effects of the changes in fishing technology and procedures that have taken place and will continue to take place can be quantified. However, it is difficult to evaluate the contribution of each element of the many factors that affect fishing efficiency. Regulatory measures taken by the RFMOs for management of tuna stocks also affect the fishing procedures. Even if these developments cannot be quantified, they must be kept in mind when considering the management of fishing capacity.

There are also many factors that affect fishing capacity. International and national management policy of fleet size and restrictions on operation of fishing vessels are major elements. Those are very complicated and interactive. A policy taken by one country affects the actions of other countries in regard to fleet size and methods of operation, as already seen for the longline and purse-seine fleets. These management policies are related not only to the available tuna resources, but also to socio-economic factors, such as to protecting existing industries. The above factors are not discussed in this paper, as they are covered in other papers in this volume.

References

Delgado de Molina, A., Fonteneau, A., Pallares, P., Ariz, J., Moron, J., Gaertner, D. & Santana, C. 1999. Atlantic tropical tuna fisheries: general overview. Coll. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT, 49 (3): 241-252. Madrid.

Fonteneau, A. & Diouf, T. 1994. An efficient way of bait-fishing for tunas recently developed in Senegal. Aquatic Living Resources, 7 (3): 139-151.

Gyosen Kyokai (Association of Fishing Vessels) ed. 1986. Nihon gyosenn shi (Historical development of Japanese fishing vessels). Gyosen Kyokai Pbl. Tokyo, 446 pp.

Itano, D. G. 2003. Documentation and classification of fishing gear and technology on board tuna purse-seine vessels. Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). 16th Meeting of the Standing Committee on Tuna and Billfish, 9-16 July 2003. Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia.

Joseph, J. 1994. The tuna-dolphin controversy in the eastern Pacific Ocean: biological, economic, and political impacts. Ocean. Develop. Inter. Law, 25 (1): 1-30. London.

Le Gall, J., Cayré, P. & Taquet, M. 2000. Pêche thonière et dispositifs de concentration de poissons. Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer. 684 pp.

Matsuda, Y. & Ouchi, K. 1984. Legal, political, and economic constraints on Japanese strategies for distant-water tuna and skipjack fisheries in southeast Asian seas and the western central Pacific. Mem. Kagoshima Univ. Res. Center S. Pacific, 5(2).

McNeely, R. L. 1961. The purse-seine revolution in tuna fishing. Pacific Fisherman, 59 (7): 27-58. Seattle.

Miyake, P. M., Miyabe, N. & Nakano, H. 2004. Historical trends of tuna catches in the world. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 467. Rome.

Orange, C. J. & Broadhead, G. C. 1959. 1958-1959 - A turning point for tuna purse-seine fishing? Pacific Fisherman, 57 (7): 20, 22, 25, 29. Seattle.

Pallares, P., Mina, X., Delgado de Molina, A., Artetxe, I., Ariz, J. & Arrizabalaga, H. 2002. Análisis de la actividad de los buques auxiliares en el Océano Atlántico y su efecto sobre el rendimiento de los atuneros congeladores. Coll. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT, 54 (1): 139-156. Madrid.

Perrin, W. F. 1969. Using porpoise to catch tuna. World Fishing, June 1969: 42-45. London.

Scofield, W. L. 1951. Purse seines and other roundhaul nets in California. Calif. Dept. Fish Game, Fish Bull., 81. Sacramento.

Shimada, B. M. & Schaefer, M. B. 1956. A study of changes in fishing effort, abundance, and yield for yellowfin and skipjack tuna in the eastern tropical Pacific. Inter-Amer. Trop. Tuna Comm., Bull., 1 (7): 351-469. La Jolla.

Suisanshinchosha. 1970. Katuo-maguro nenkan (Annual for Tuna Fisheries), 1969 Edition, Published by Suisanshinchosha, Tokyo, Japan.

Appendix 1

TABLE 1
Total annual nominal catches, in tonnes, of the principal market species of tunas (other than southern bluefin), by ocean

Year	Atlantic	Indian	Pacific	Total
1950	68 223	15 230	250 176	333 629
1951	66 939	9 130	327 156	403 225
1952	75 501	24 254	383 506	483 261
1953	76 405	28 368	358 638	463 411
1954	83 222	52 154	387 512	522 888
1955	82 275	79 570	393 770	555 615
1956	80 313	104 888	453 978	639 179
1957	111 802	80 965	485 957	678 724
1958	134 273	71 018	525 179	730 470
1959	148 403	74 085	525 726	748 214
1960	170 085	93 607	488 363	752 055
1961	163 215	99 457	594 376	857 047
1962	203 520	114429	615 222	933 171
1963	217712	92 835	623 151	933 698
1964	237 200	97 190	616 117	950 507
1965	253 201	100 043	592 141	945 385
1966	204 523	132 263	703 971	1 040 756
1967	210 136	137 496	704 291	1 051 923
1968	243 756	192129	650 160	1 086 044
1969	254 080	155 984	690 470	1 100 534
1970	253 115	127 476	748 736	1 129 326
1971	308 421	119 639	773 782	1 201 843
1972	316 571	113 163	824 916	1 254 651
1973	320 788	118 661	971 088	1 410 537
1974	385 512	150 049	1 034 802	1 570 364
1975	327 928	131 800	1 001 683	1 461 410
1976	345 121	126 901	1 188 857	1 660 879
1977	398 037	144 286	1 149 294	1 691 617
1978	389 066	154 295	1 288 462	1 831 823
1979	356 492	138 441	1 200 639	1 695 571
1980	387 956	137 827	1 243 214	1 768 997
1981	434 319	143 624	1 226 399	1 804 342
1982	490 840	176 815	1 187 982	1 855 638
1983	451 642	201 346	1 322 963	1 975 951
1984	398 377	273 858	1 443 271	2 115 506
1985	454 175	324 518	1 380 937	2 159 629
1986	444 031	383 880	1 621 055	2 448 966
1987	418 497	421 368	1 610 209	2 450 073
1988	436 1 54	510 610	1 724 164	2 670 928
1989	442 670	517 953	1 785 987	2 746 610
1990	508 664	529 632	1 911 852	2 950 148
1991	551 115	544 327	2 132 763	3 228 205
1992	516 131	628 701	2 064 969	3 209 801
1993	567 681	762 453	1 921 397	3 251 531
1994	596 088	719 802	2 064 817	3 380 706
1995	554 943	736 854	2 129 240	3 421 037
1996	533 136	757 262	2 052 827	3 343 226
1997	493 569	770 197	2 244 525	3 508 291
1998	494 851	777 394	2 581 215	3 853 460
1999	528 383	921 528	2 538 174	3 988 085
2000	478 358	818 301	2 590 535	3 887 194
2001	497 476	781 569	2 584 701	3 863 746

TABLE 2
Total annual nominal catches, in tonnes, of the principal market species of tunas, by species

Year	Albacore	Bigeye	Bluefin	Skipjack	Yellowfin	Southern bluefin	Total
1950	107 813	10 808	27 340	162 108	106 456	829	415 354
1951	82 269	11 651	31 274	166 445	91 435	829	383 903
1952	126 770	29 792	53 350	150 441	122 862	829	484 044
1953	108 798	30 648	55 812	154 800	113 330	4 399	467 787
1954	113 868	29 374	60 900	194 059	124 674	2 871	525 746
1955	97 799	44 624	66 481	187 492	159 122	2 286	557 804
1956	129 974	50 652	62 049	199 663	196 538	10 567	649 443
1957	148 517	67 011	68 931	187 953	205 633	24 172	702 217
1958	133 174	70 685	61 499	255 038	208 112	14 784	743 292
1959	132 883	65 759	48 559	281 175	217 282	64 378	810 036
1960	1 58 187	79 118	50 121	162 967	299 057	79 371	828 821
1961	143 476	100 386	57 271	257 345	295 794	81 605	935 876
1962	178 700	121 661	61 970	282 900	287 940	45 033	978 204
1963	191 632	147 491	61 063	266 687	266 825	65 923	999 621
1964	195 057	117 548	61 412	286 004	290 486	49 670	1 000 177
1965	202 872	117 223	55 448	288 094	281 748	47 565	992 950
1966	196 001	115 460	54 072	369 224	306 000	47 652	1 088 408
1967	220 564	120 924	46 177	392 614	271 644	65 638	1 117 561
1968	189 211	124 352	38 164	360 436	373 882	58 394	1 144 438
1969	196 678	149 019	33 559	332 896	388 382	58 528	1 159 062
1970	185 932	141 327	28 519	395 819	377 730	48 156	1 177 482
1971	223 160	148 458	35 249	454 499	340 476	45 148	1 246 991
1972	239 200	155 255	36 655	386 559	436 982	51 925	1 306 576
1973	243 706	167 651	35 307	492 730	471 142	41 205	1 451 742
1974	249 869	174 726	48 428	607 241	490 099	46 777	1 617 141
1975	187 338	203 106	48 160	513 917	508 889	32 982	1 494 392
1976	241 884	210 536	48 518	599 997	559 945	42 509	1 703 388
1977	186 615	242 823	44 271	639 317	578 590	42 178	1 733 795
1978	227 112	241 543	48 139	764 880	550 148	35 908	1 867 731
1979	192 798	208 045	51 129	675 070	568 152	38 673	1 733 868
1980	182 805	239 474	42 385	751 354	552 430	45 054	1 813 501
1981	179 537	218 013	51 299	742 027	612 523	45 104	1 848 503
1982	196 453	231 837	52 000	801 454	573 191	42 788	1 897 723
1983	166 332	230 913	44 172	947 257	586 582	42 881	2 018 138
1984	169 754	229 969	38 944	1 056 098	618 281	37 090	2150136
1985	174 540	268 631	41 322	908 105	764 320	33 325	2 190 243
1986	199 765	287 490	41 115	1 096 820	823 144	28 319	2 476 654
1987	190 196	297 484	35 778	1 034 407	892 000	25 575	2 475 439
1988	182 999	273 302	36 062	1 273 241	904 637	23 145	2 693 386
1989	184 198	287 637	34 708	1 280 346	959 479	17 843	2 764 212
1990	188 219	337 289	33 939	1 338 020	1 052 509	13 870	2 963 846
1991	156 153	344 871	44 301	1 649 386	1 033 400	13 692	3 241 804
1992	181 671	338 770	46 460	1 535 531	1 107 294	14217	3 223 944
1993	180 872	366 273	46 411	1 488 300	1 169 651	14 345	3 265 851
1994	210 032	416 136	62 258	1 591 307	1 100 616	13 246	3 393 594
1995	184 081	413 244	74 499	1 677 992	1 070 985	13 680	3 434 481
1996	204 850	416 491	73 652	1 594 855	1 053 208	16 501	3 359 556
1997	225 035	447 373	69 632	1 601 219	1 163 953	16 101	3 523 313
1998	236 249	434 370	54 390	1 927 868	1 199 295	17 981	3 870 152
1999	266 698	453 230	59 138	1 996 061	1 209 164	19 803	4 004 092
2000	241 284	422 317	62 304	2 008 414	1 150 920	15712	3 900 951
2001	252 465	386 362	46 080	1 886 654	1 290 439	16 002	3 878 003

TABLE 3
Total annual nominal catches, in tonnes, of the principal market species of tunas (other than southern bluefin) by fishing gear

Year	Purse-seine	Pole-and-line	Longline	Other	Total
1950	33 654	150 258	20 957	128 760	333 629
1951	34 942	241 498	16 728	110 057	403 225
1952	46 404	247 198	75 361	114 298	483 261
1953	45 768	228 325	86 271	103 047	463 411
1954	51 261	262 115	103 481	106 031	522 888
1955	55 867	257 720	134 355	107 673	555 615
1956	55 569	303 553	159 173	120 884	639 179
1957	52 593	311 427	188 667	126 037	678 724
1958	68 806	327 593	213 420	120 650	730 470
1959	79 113	315 106	234 370	119 625	748 214
1960	118 434	213 422	296 627	123 572	752 055
1961	168 775	253 908	319 931	114 434	857 047
1962	166 208	258 937	376 954	131 071	933 171
1963	177 080	231 734	384 062	140 822	933 698
1964	198 451	258 441	357 838	135 777	950 507
1965	173 915	292 116	350 858	128 495	945 385
1966	188 433	341 097	379 765	131 462	1 040 756
1967	234 115	320 812	333 838	163 157	1 051 923
1968	239 427	288 254	392 910	165 453	1 086 044
1969	246 989	302 877	394 779	155 889	1 100 534
1970	290 463	329715	353 580	155 568	1 129 326
1971	336 103	356 670	352 137	156 933	1 201 843
1972	359 692	340 198	373 293	181 467	1 254 651
1973	397 868	447 485	390 002	175 181	1 410 537
1974	462 577	532 220	376 768	198 800	1 570 364
1975	497 726	391 620	387 019	185 045	1 461 410
1976	559 686	501 445	414 679	185 068	1 660 879
1977	525 299	464 632	486 711	214 975	1 691 617
1978	605 477	521 969	484 208	220 170	1 831 823
1979	582 567	467 855	435 049	210 100	1 695 571
1980	612 968	517 139	462 336	176 553	1 768 997
1981	706 583	474 834	415 865	207 060	1 804 342
1982	739 690	450 128	456 526	209 294	1 855 638
1983	859 510	483 593	418 154	214 694	1 975 951
1984	951 382	565 844	383 986	214 293	2 115 506
1985	1 016 742	470 745	446 031	226 111	2 159 629
1986	1 153 290	539 590	500 463	255 622	2 448 966
1987	1 221 030	479 260	503 719	246 064	2 450 073
1988	1 361 788	527 091	485 397	296 652	2 670 928
1989	1 445 205	510 510	452 278	338 617	2 746 610
1990	1 603 774	448 484	535 842	362 048	2 950 148
1991	1 831 658	504 629	526 671	365 247	3 228 205
1992	1 821 133	452 508	578 575	357 585	3 209 801
1993	1 765 780	503 756	665 996	315 999	3 251 531
1994	1 878 469	498 028	631 134	373 074	3 380 706
1995	1 947 029	528 771	567 883	377 354	3 421 037
1996	1 855 485	482 910	606 115	398 716	3 343 226
1997	1 961 857	525 532	617 023	403 879	3 508 291
1998	2 171 184	569 723	659 037	453 517	3 853 460
1999	2 254 203	600 545	634 238	499 099	3 988 085
2000	2 249 460	547 1 58	591 141	499 435	3 887 194
2001	2 223 457	556 170	576 326	507 793	3 863 746

Appendix 2

FIGURE 1
Average annual catches, by 5-degree areas, by longline gear. The denser colours represent greater catches.

FIGURE 2
Average annual catches, by 5-degree areas, by purse-seine gear. The denser colours represent greater catches

FIGURE 3
Average annual catches, by 5-degree areas, by pole-and-line gear. The denser colours represent greater catche

FIGURE 4
Distributions of the catches, by species and major gears, during 1998. The denser colours represent greater catches