Tina Farmer, Aureliano Gentile
2005-05-27
2010-11-15
2295
Capture fisheries topics and activities
150
Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Département des pêches et de l’aquaculture de la FAO
Departamento de Pesca y Acuicultura de la FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN)
FI_WS_CP
FAO
Jacek Majkowski
2008-10-29
2010-11-15
12251
Tuna resources
The so-called principal market tuna species are most important among the tuna and tuna-like species from the catch weight and economical view points. They are landed in numerous locations around the world, traded on the nearly global scale and also processed and consumed in many locations worldwide.
Taxonomy, ecology and general importance
In taxonomy, tuna and tuna-like species are defined as the suborder of Scombroidei. They are composed of tunas (sometimes referred as true tunas), billfishes and other tuna-like species. The species include the largest and fastest fish in the sea.
Among the tunas (Thunnini), there are very commercially very important species (frequently referred to as the principal market tuna species). They include (ordered by catch weight): skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, albacore and three species of bluefin. The first three species are tropical and the remainder are temperate. The principal market species are widely distributed in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Fish of one species (southern bluefin tuna) migrate among all the Oceans. Most other species constitute different stocks in the different Oceans. The principal market tunas are subject of intensive international trade for canning and sashimi on the global scale.
With the exception of two species (Mediterranean and roundscale spearfish), the billfishes have also wide distributions in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are of great importance to game fishing. One billfish species (swordfish) is a target of commercial fisheries.
The principal market tunas and billfishes are of great economic importance to many both developed and developing countries.
The tuna and tuna-like species other than the principal market species and billfishes have more narrow distribution, frequently limited to water masses over the continental shelf. Therefore, some of them are referred to as neritic species. They are presently of importance to mostly developing countries, being subject of mostly artisanal and recreational fisheries.
From the tuna and tuna-like species, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea classifies the principal market tunas, billfishes, blackfin, bullet and frigate tuna, little tunny and kawakawa as highly migratory regardless that particularly the last two species are mostly neritic.
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Stock status
Present status
Most tropical principal market tunas have reacted well to exploitation because of their high fecundity, a relatively short life span, wide geographic distribution and opportunistic behaviour make them highly productive. The tropical species of skipjack and yellowfin are used mostly for canning. Because of that, they fetch lower prices than the tunas used for sashimi such as bluefin and bigeye (bigeye is tropical species).
The most up-to-date review of the state of global Tuna and Tuna like resources is available in the Fishery Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS):]]>
16001
Tuna and tuna-like species - Global
Stocks of temperate species (albacore and bluefins) are less productive and may be more susceptible to overexploitation. Some bluefin species (used for expensive sashimi) are, in fact, significantly depleted, which is a prime conservation problem. The albacore used mainly for canning fetches much lower prices than bluefin, but higher than skipjack and yellowfin.
Most stocks of the principal market tunas are about fully exploited. A significant number of stocks are overexploited or depleted. There are still few stocks of the principal market tunas that are moderately exploited.
Outlook
If tuna fisheries continue to be profitable, the intensity of fishing may even increase as a result of fishing overcapacity unless it is effectively restrained by fisheries management measures. Such intensification would result in a significant deterioration in the status of stocks of tuna and tuna-like species. Even without the intensification, the status of some stocks that are presently being overexploited is likely to deteriorate unless the exploitation is reduced. This deterioration could eventually lead to a reduction in catches.
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Other involved institutionsIn addition to the above-mentioned information, websites of the tuna fishery bodies and other international and national institutions have a lot of information on the species, particularly on regional scales. Tuna-org is as an informal framework for sharing information from the tuna bodies listed below.
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Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)
Commission pour la conservation du thon rouge du sud (CCSBT)
Comisión para la Conservación del Atún de Aleta Azul del Sur (CCSBT)
Комиссия по сохранению южного синего тунца (CCSBT)
الهيئة الدولية لصيانة التونة زرقاء الزعانف (CCSBT)
南部蓝鳍金枪鱼保护委员会 (CCSBT)
regional fishery Bodies
http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/photo/firi/219792.JPG
http://www.ccsbt.org
http://www.ccsbt.org
419
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
Commission interaméricaine du thon tropical (CITT)
Comisión Interamericana del Atún Tropical (CIAT)
Межамериканская комиссия по тропическому тунцу (IATTC)
هيئة التونة الاستوائية فى البلدان الأمريكية (IATTC)
美洲间热带金枪鱼委员会 (IATTC)
regional fishery Bodies
http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/photo/firi/220285.JPG
http://www.iattc.org/
http://www.iattc.org/
http://www.iattc.org/HomeSPN.htm
916
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT)
Commission internationale pour la conservation des thonidés de l'Atlantique (CICTA)
Comisión Internacional para la Conservación del Atún del Atlántico (CICAA)
Международная комиссия по сохранению атлантического тунца (ИККАТ)
الهيئة الدولية لصيانة التونة فى الأطلسى (ICCAT)
国际保护大西洋金枪鱼委员会 (ICCAT)
regional fishery Bodies
http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/photo/firi/220310.JPG
http://www.iccat.int/en/
http://www.iccat.int/fr/
http://www.iccat.int/es/
941
Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
Commission des thons de l'océan Indien (CTOI)
Comisión del Atún para el Océano Indico (IOTC)
Комиссия по индоокеанскому тунцу
هيئة مصايد أسماك التونة فى المحيط الهندى (IOTC)
印度洋金枪鱼委员会 (IOTC)
regional fishery Bodies
http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/photo/firi/220203.JPG
http://www.iotc.org
http://www.iotc.org/French/
833
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
Commission des pêches pour le Pacifique central et occidental (WCPFC)
Comisión de Pesca para el Pacífico Occidental y Central (WCPFC)
Комиссия по рыболовству в западной и центральной частях Тихого океана (WCPFC)
لجنة مصايد الأسماك في غرب ووسط المحيط الهادئ (WCPFC)
中西太平洋渔业委员会 (WCPFC)
institutions
http://www.wcpfc.int/
1807
Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP)
Le programme Pêche Hauturière (OFP)
website
http://www.spc.int/oceanfish/
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)
regional fishery Bodies
http://www.ffa.int/
1568
Atuna
website
http://www.atuna.com/
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16001
Tuna and tuna-like species - Global
Global Tuna Catches by Stock (online query)
Captures nominales mondiales de thonidés (interrogation en ligne)
Capturas nominales mundiales del atún buscar (búsqueda en línea)
Мировой вылов тунца по запасам (онлайновый запрос)
المصيد الاسمي العالمي من أسماك التونة (استفسار على الانترنت)
全球金枪鱼标称渔获量（在线查询）
search interface
http://www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/tuna-catches/query
424
Atlas of Tuna and Billfish Catches (online query)
Atlas des captures de thons et marlins (interrogation en ligne)
Atlas de las capturas de atún y marlin (búsqueda en línea)
Атлас уловов тунца и меч-рыбы (онлайновый запрос)
أطلس المصيد من أسماك التونة وسمك الخرمان (استفسار على الانترنت)
金枪鱼和剑旗鱼捕捞量图集 (在线查询)
search interface
http://www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/tuna-atlas/query
435
Global Production Statistics (online query)
Statistiques sur la production mondiale (interrogation en ligne)
Estadísticas de la producción mundial (búsqueda en línea)
Статистика производства в мире (онлайн-запрос)
إحصاءات الإنتاج العالمي (استفسار على الانترنت)
全球产量统计数据 (在线查询)
search interface
http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/TabLandArea?tb_ds=Production&tb_mode=TABLE&tb_act=SELECT&tb_grp=COUNTRY
432
Aquatic Species - fact sheets
Espèces aquatiques - fiches d'informations
Especies acuáticas - hojas informativas
Виды гидробионтов. Информационные бюллетени
صحائف وقائع الانواع المائية
水生种类情况说明
search interface
http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/search
413
16916
FAO activities on tuna
Activités de la FAO portant sur le thon
Actividades de la FAO sobre el atún
16212
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA)
La situation mondiale des pêches et de l'aquaculture (SOFIA)
El estado mundial de la pesca y la acuicultura (SOFIA)
Marine fishery resources of the Pacific Islands
Book
http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1452e/i1452e00.htm
http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1452e/i1452e00.pdf
I1452/E
9789251065129
Global fishery resources of tuna and tuna-like species.
Book
http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a1291e/a1291e00.htm
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a1291e/a1291e.pdf
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a1291e/a1291e.zip
A1291/E
9789251058060
0429-9345
The state of world highly migratory, straddling and other high seas fishery resources and associated species
Book
http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0653e/a0653e00.htm
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/a0653e/a0653e00.pdf
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/a0653e/a0653e.zip
A0653/E
9251055548
0429-9345
Review of the state of world marine fishery resources
Book
http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/y5852e/y5852e00.htm
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/y5852e/y5852e00.pdf
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/y5852e/y5852e.zip
Y5852/E
9251052670
0429-9345
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
Book
http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y5984e/y5984e00.htm
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/y5984e/y5984e00.pdf
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/y5984e/y5984e.zip
Y5984/E
9251052972
1813-3940
Global resources of tuna and tuna-like species (Review of the state of world fishery resources: marine fisheries)
documents and articles
HTTP://WWW.FAO.ORG/DOCREP/003/W4248E/W4248E33.HTM#C1
Pacific tunas and billfishes. Atlas of commercial catches. 9p., 28 maps
Book
9251039011
Fishery Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS)
Système de suivi des ressources halieutiques (FIRMS)
Sistema de supervisión de los recursos pesqueros (FIRMS)
Система мониторинга рыбопромысловых ресурсов (FIRMS)
نظام رصد الموارد السمكية (FIRMS)
渔业资源监测系统 (FIRMS)
http://firms.fao.org
16082
Biological characteristics of tuna
16917
Tuna fisheries and utilization
Pêcheries thonières et utilisation du poisson
Pesquerías y utilización del atún