Nominal catch by species, gear and vessel flag reporting country

Nominal catch by species, gear, and vessel flag reporting country for the period 1950-2023

This dataset corresponds to the latest version of the annual catches in live weight equivalent of all species (tuna and tuna-like species, including also non-target / by-catch species), aggregated by year, IOTC statistical area, species, and reporting country flag. Data are reported by calendar year and extend back to the 1950s, when industrial longlining started in the Indian Ocean.

Data might differ from the information originally provided by CPCs because, under certain circumstances, the Secretariat can also perform a preliminary re-estimation of both species and gear composition for some strata for which known issues exist in terms of data collection and reporting procedures at national level. The applied re-estimation procedures are performed in agreement with the IOTC Scientific Committee and might be subject to future revisions.

Note that the catch estimates in this data file differ from the ‘best scientific estimates’ of nominal catch used for stock assessment purposes and published on the dedicated meeting pages of each IOTC Working Party.  

The dataset is available in spreadsheet format (Microsoft Excel) and users are invited to refer to the NOTES worksheet for any additional information concerning the limits of applicability and the processing procedures used for the compilation of this dataset.

The update from the last version of the dataset available on 14 January 2025 includes revised Iran catch data for the period between 2011 and 2014