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Overview of Indian Ocean albacore fisheries, 1950-2023

Reference:

IOTC-2025-WPTmT09(DP)-07

File:

IOTC-2025-WPTmT09DP-07_-_Data_status.pdf

Type:

Meeting documents

Year:

2025

Meeting:

Working Party on Temperate Tuna (WPTmT)

Meeting session:

901

Availability:

26 February 2025

Authors:

IOTC Secretariat

Abstract:

The Indian Ocean (IO) represents ~15% of the global catch of albacore (Tunnus alalunga)
Annual catches of IO albacore have steadily increased since the 1950s to reach ~40,000 t in recent years
Industrial longline fisheries contribute to the bulk of albacore catch in the IO
Longline fisheries are dominated by Taiwan,China, followed by China, Japan, Malaysia, and Seychelles
Longline catches are distributed all over the IO with high concentrations in the southwest in recent years
Catches from artisanal fisheries have increased over time, reaching about 20% of all albacore catch in 2023
Overall levels of albacore discards are considered to be small or negligible in most fisheries
Information available on fishing grounds and size composition is considered to be of good quality
Size data show that smaller fish are found at high latitudes while larger individuals occur in tropical areas
Albacore average weight in the catch has decreased from >20 kg in the 1950s to ~15 kg in the late 1990s

Tags:

albacore

datasets

tuna fisheries

temperate tuna