Tuna fishing. (Photo: Greenpeace)

Global tuna catches grow but overfishing continues

WORLDWIDE
Saturday, September 24, 2016, 06:40 (GMT + 9)

The global commercial tuna catch reached 5 million tons in 2014, an increase from 4.6 million in 2013, reveals the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) in its latest report on the global tuna stock situation.

The report Tuna Stock Status Update -- 2016 issued by ISSF also details that tuna accounts for approximately 6 per cent of the world’s 81.5-million-ton marine catch, explaining that the skipjack tuna species accounted for 57 per cent, followed by yellowfin (27 per cent), bigeye (9 per cent), albacore (6 per cent) and bluefin (1 per cent).

Further statistics reveal that purse seine vessels harvested 64 per cent of the tuna, followed by longline methods (12 per cent), pole-and-line (9 per cent), gillnets (4 per cent) and miscellaneous fishing gear types (11 per cent).

In addition, the ISSF report indicates that 77 per cent of the total volume of tuna catch worldwide in 2014 was from stocks at a “healthy level of abundance.” Previous Tuna Stock Status Update reports showed 78 per cent of tuna catch from healthy stocks in 2014 (from a preliminary report in February 2016), 87 per cent in 2013, 86 per cent in 2012, and 94 per cent in 2011.

From a perspective of tuna stocks, 44 per cent of tuna stocks globally are at a healthy level of abundance, and 39 per cent are overfished. Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) bigeye tuna, for example, continues to be slightly overfished and was downgraded from a Green (healthy abundance) rating to a Yellow (intermediate) rating since the previous February 2016 report. Other overfished stocks were Western Pacific Ocean (WPO) bigeye, Atlantic Ocean (AO) bigeye, and Indian Ocean (IO) yellowfin.

Tuna Stock Status Update also reports on tuna management measures recently enacted by tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). Significant newly adopted measures covered in the report include the adoption by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) of harvest control rules (HCRs) for skipjack tuna, as well as a plan for rebuilding the overfished IO yellowfin stock. The Inter-American-Tropical-Tuna-Commission (IATTC) also adopted an HCR for tropical tuna species.

“While 77 per cent of the world’s tuna catch comes from healthy stocks, it is important to remember that there are four stocks — representing 13 per cent of the catch — that are being overfished,” explains Dr. Victor Restrepo, ISSF Vice President, Science.

“Even though there are management measures in place for them, these measures are proving to be insufficient to end overfishing — and a greater effort is required, “ he concludes.
 
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