Indian Ocean Albacore Tuna Management Procedures Evaluation: Status Report

An evaluation of Management Procedures (MPs) for Indian Ocean albacore tuna is being
carried out. The analysis attempts to simulation-test a full MP, consisting on data collection,
an specified mechanism to evaluate stock status and/or trends, and a decision rule.
• The base case Operating Model (OM) for albacore is being developed by the Working Party
on Methods (WPM) with input from the Working Party on Temperate Tuna (WPTmT). The
current base case is likely to be updated following the new stock assessment for this stock
to be carried out by WPTmT in July 2019. This will update the OM to the start of 2018
without the current extension from the 2014 stock status estimates.
• Two types of MPs are being evaluated and presented here. They mainly differ in the method
used to assess stock status: trends in the main CPUE series, or a surplus production stock
assessment. Both depend on the availability of an index of abundance generated in a similar
manner to what is currently being used by WPTmT for the albacore stock assessment. One
of them also requires good estimates of total catches from all fleets.
• Further work on this MSE exercise will require financial resources to be made available.
Development has so far been funded in kind by the European Commission’s DG MARE and
DG JRC, but this is unlikely to continue due to staff changes from July 2019.