Table Of ContentInteractions of
tuna
Pacific
fisheries
Volume Summary
1 report
and on
papers interaction
FAO
Proceedings of the First Expert Consultation
on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries
3-11 December 1991
Noumea, New Caledonia
Edited by
Richard S. Shomura
Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
Manoa
University of Hawaii,
USA
Honolulu, Hawaii,
Jacek Majkowski
FAO
Fisheries Department
Sarah
Langi
Neiafu, Vava'u
Tonga
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FAO 1994
iii
PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT
This publication results from the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions
of Pacific Tuna Fisheries hosted in Noumea, New Caledonia by the South Pacific
Commission in cooperation with the Institut Franpais de Recherche Scientifique
pour le D6veloppement en Cooperation from 3 to 11 December 1991. The
Consultation was organized by the FAO Trust Fund project: "Cooperative
Research on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries9* in close collaboration with
regional and national institutions involved in tuna fisheries research in the Pacific
(see Acknowledgements).
The information presented at the Consultation was compiled by TUNET, a
network of ten Working Groups organized by the FAO project. That information
was contributed by scientists of the regional and national institutions studying
tuna stocks and fisheries mainly in the Pacific, but also outside of the region.
Distribution
FAO
Fisheries Department
FAO
Regional Fisheries Officers
FAO fisheries projects and programmes
International fisheries organizations
National fisheries departments
National fisheries research laboratories
Members of TUNET (FAO's network of working groups
studying tuna fisheries interactions in the Pacific)
iv
Shomura, R.S.; Majkowski, J.;Langi, S. (eds.)
Interactions of Pacific tuna fisheries. Proceedings of the first FAO Expert
Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries. 3-1 1 December 1991 .
Noumea, New Caledonia. Volume 1 : summary report and papers on
interaction.
FAQ Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 336, Vol.1. Rome, FAO, 1993. 326p.
ABSTRACT
This publication presents papers and discussions of the First FAO Expert
Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries held in Noumea, New
Caledonia from 3 to 1 1 December 1991 . The objectives of the Consultation
included:
the identification and documentation of concern related to interactions
among fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species in the Pacific,
the classification of these interactions,
the review of information on them and methods for their study, and
the formulation of recommendations for future research.
Volume 1 contains:
the Summary Report of the Consultation,
a review paper on methods for studying interactions in tuna fisheries,
thirteen papers presenting new methods and case studies on such
interactions, and
seven reviews on fisheries interactions related to individual stocks of
Pacific tuna and tuna-like species.
Volume 2 includes:
eleven review papers on the biology, population dynamics and fisheries
associated with the stocks of Pacific tuna, which are supplemented by
four additional papers on specific fisheries.
The information contained herein demonstrates the potential for interactions
occurring between and among the fisheries directed at tunas and tuna-like
species. Empirical evidence for such interactions, however, has been
available for only few fisheries, and these interactions have been quantified
for even fewer fisheries. It is unclear whether interactions are insignificant
among fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species or whether scientists
are unable to detect these interactions possibly due to various changes to
fisheries and resources, resulting in a too-variable background which conceals
the effects of interactions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The editors of this document would like to thank Convenors of TUNET's
Working Groups, Session Chairmen, Rapporteurs and participants of the
Consultation for their effort and collaboration in preparing the Summary Report
of the Consultation (see Volume 1 of this document). Thanks are also due to
authors and referees of the papers for their valuable contributions. Valuable
assistance and advice were received from Dr William Bayliff, Ms Mary Lynne
Godfrey, and Mr Robert Harman in the editing and from Mr Harman in the final
formatting and lay-out of the document.
The Consultation and its Proceedings were made possible through the close
cooperation of tuna scientists in the Pacific region. Funds for the organization
of the Consultation were provided by the Government of Japan and by FAO.
Technical expertise, data, and computer facilities for the preparatory work and
the Consultation were contributed by many institutions, especially:
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Hobart,
Australia),
FAO/UNDP Regional Fisheries Support Programme (Suva, Fiji),
Indo-Pacific Tuna Programme (Colombo, Sri Lanka),
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (La Jolla, USA),
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Madrid,
Spain),
Institut Franpais de Recherche Scientifique pour le D6veloppement en
New
Cooperation (Noumea, Caledonia),
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Wellington, New Zealand),
National Marine Fisheries Service (La Jolla and Honolulu, USA),
National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries (Shimizu, Japan),
South Pacific Commission (Noumea, New Caledonia), and
South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency (Honiara, Solomon Islands).
National research laboratories of many countries of Latin America, Southeast
Asia, and the South Pacific also contributed significantly to the work before and
during the Consultation.
Particular thanks are extended to local organizers from the institutions hosting
the Consultation, Dr Anthony Lewis of the South Pacific Commission in
Noumea, New Caledonia and Mr Renaud Pianet of the Institut Francais de
Recherche Scientifique pour le D6veloppement en Cooperation also in Noumea.
The editors would like to acknowledge the assistance and encouragement of the
staff of the Fishery Resources and Environment Division and the Operations
Service of the FAO Fisheries Department (Rome, Italy), the FAO/UNDP Regional
Fisheries Support Programme (Suva, and the Indo-Pacific Tuna Programme
Fiji),
(Colombo, Sri Lanka) and particularly to Dr John Caddy, Dr Serge Garcia, Mr
Robert Gillett, Mr Andhi Isarankura, Dr Yasuhisa Kato, Mrs Christiane Lagrange-
Hall, Mr Toshifumi Sakurai, Mr Mitsuo Yesaki, and Mr Hugh Walton.
vii
INTERACTIONS OF PACIFIC TUNA
Proceedings of the First FAO Expert Consultation on
Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries
PREFACE
Tunas and tuna-like species are extremely valuable commercially, especially
albacore, bigeye, northern and southern bluefm, skipjack, and yellowfm tuna.
Collectively, these species are referred to as principal market tuna species, and are prized
for canning, sashimi (raw fish dishes), and other products. The lesser known tuna
species, however, should not be discounted because they provide considerable in-country
commerce and are important sources ofprotein in some parts of the world. In recent
years, the Pacific Ocean has become the dominant ocean for tuna landings. Between
1980 and 1991, the annual catch of tuna and tuna-like species in the Pacific increased by
68% to about 3 million metric tons (mt). The 1991 Pacific total catch represented about
68% of the world's catch of these species. While these very high catches in the Pacific
are impressive, some recent studies suggest that there is potential for still higher
sustainable catches of some species.
The increases in the catches of Pacific tunas and tuna-like species have resulted
from both intensification and expansion ofexisting fisheries, and the development ofnew
fisheries. These changes have led to overlap ofareas of operations of large and small-
scale fisheries, as well as competition for the same tuna resources by large-scale fisheries
using different gear. Detecting or predicting even this most direct type of interaction,
however, is difficult and presents a serious research challenge. Presently, two or more
tuna fisheries may be operating simultaneously on the same stock in overlapping
geographical areas, targeting fish of similar sizes. In such a situation, changes in the
A
fishing intensity or pattern of one fishery may affect the catches of the other fisheries.
further factor in fisheries interaction among tunas is the ability of many tuna species to
undertake rapid, long distance movements or migrations across or even between oceans.
Under these circumstances, fisheries operating in different exclusive economic zones and
on the high seas may significantly affect each other.
The knowledge of fisheries interactions is essential for rational management of
fisheries. The principal market tuna species and many tuna-like species are recognized by
the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as highly migratory.
Recently, considerable attention has been directed to the need for rational management of
fisheries for highly migratory species and resources that straddle adjacent exclusive
economic zones (EEZs). Such management would enhance economic and social benefits
to the countries involved in fishing, processing, and trade of these resources. Presently,
small-scale tuna fisheries exist in many developing countries in the Pacific, and many of
these fisheries operate in the same areas as the large industrial tuna fisheries (purse seine,
and and
pole line, longline).
viii
From 6 to 8 May 1992, the International Conference on Responsible Fishing was
held in Cancun, Mexico, leading to the Cancun Declaration. From 7 to 15 September
1992, FAO organized the Technical Consultation on High Seas Fishing held in Rome,
Italy, to consider technical issues related to such fishing. As a consequence of these
meetings, FAO is involved in addressing the issue of flag ofconvenience. This issue is
of major relevance to tuna fisheries and their management because many tuna vessels use
such flags of convenience to avoid restrictive measures imposed by certain countries.
Also, FAO actively participates in the development of a Code of Conduct of Responsible
Fishing, which will apply to both the high seas and economic exclusive zones.
In a broader context, fisheries issues were considered at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
from 3 to 14 June 1993. The outcome of this Conference is relevant to fisheries directed
at tuna and tuna-like species. The existing programme of action on environment and
development (referred to as Agenda 21 or the Rio Declaration) and the two Conventions
on Biodiversity and Climate Change are now open for ratification. These initiatives
represent an important commitment at the highest national political level to resolve a wide
range of problems associated with rational use of marine resources.
According to UNCLOS, fisheries management needs to be based on the best
available scientific information. The recent attention directed to fisheries management of
highly migratory and high seas resources has pointed the need for scientific information
on interactions of fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species. This need has also
become evident at recent regional and international meetings of fisheries scientists and
administrators.
In the Pacific, where most catch of tuna and tuna-like species is taken, there is an
additional urgent need to integrate available information and to coordinate fisheries
research. The Pacific is the only ocean where there is neither a single fisheries body nor
a technical programme directed to tuna and tuna-like species that encompass the entire
ocean. Some of the Pacific stocks of tuna and tuna-like species are only partly covered
by existing fisheries bodies and programmes in terms of their areas ofdistribution. This
FAO
situation promoted to initiate a project: "Cooperative Research on Interactions of
Pacific Tuna Fisheries'1 and to create a network of ten working groups of scientists
(TUNET) to provide direction and to facilitate the implementation of the project.
To provide an information base for the execution of the project, FAO organized
the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries hosted in
Noumea, New Caledonia, by the South Pacific Commission with collaboration of the
Institut Francais de Recherche Scientifique pour le Developpement en Cooperation
(ORSTOM) from 3 to 11 December 1991. The Consultation was preceded by a
preparatory meeting held in Noumea in late 1989, The success of the Consultation was
due to the close collaboration and contribution of many other institutions; these
institutions and the host organizations are duly acknowledged in the Summary Report
presented in Volume I.
The objectives of the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific
Tuna Fisheries included describing the concerns related to interactions of Pacific fisheries
directed at tuna and tuna-like species, classifying these interactions, reviewing all
