Longtail tuna,Thunnus tonggol (Bleeker, 1851): a global review of population dynamics,ecology, fisheries,and considerations for future conservation and management

Longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) is a neritic species that supports commercial, artisanal and recreational fisheries throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Historically receiving little attention by commercial fisheries, the global annual catch of longtail tuna has steadily risen from around 30,000 t in the early 1980s to exceeding 200,000 t since 2004, reaching a peak of 291,264 t in 2007, and was 281,613 t in 2017. Catches of longtail tuna in the Indian Ocean now exceed catches of principal commercial target species, such as albacore and bigeye tunas. A sequence of stock assessments undertaken throughout the species’ range since the late 1980s persistently indicated that at least three of the four stocks defined in this paper are likely to have been, and most likely are currently, subject to overfishing and overfished as a result of excess fishing effort on this relatively slow-growing and long-lived tuna species. As the spawning biomass of principal tuna target species continue to decline in both the Indian and western and central Pacific Oceans, the increasing catches of longtail tuna, other neritic tunas, and seerfishes is worrisome. Few conservation and management measures (CMMs) are currently in place specifically for longtail tuna, although in recent years some coastal States, Regional Fishery Bodies, and tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organisations have begun to develop initiatives to improve the catch and biological data quality for longtail tuna and sympatric species of neritic tunas and tuna-like species. This paper provides a global review of biological, ecological and fishery information to provide researchers, fishery managers and policy makers with the most current information from which to begin to guide future stock assessment and the development of CMMs for longtail tuna.

     

U.S. fishery negotiations with Canada and Mexico

Abstract

In the last decade, the world has witnessed a fundamental reorientation of posture toward marine resources as evidenced by consensus in the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) and the near universal move toward fishery jurisdictions of 200 nautical miles (370 km). These and other non‐marine‐specific economic and political pressures impose a new constellation of constraints on North American fishery relations. This has resulted in disharmonies on two borders.

This paper, then, addresses the form of binational fishery negotiations between the United States and her two neighbors. One section presents a general model of the binational negotiation process. The next section introduces the institutional and political context of U.S.‐Canada relations, and then applies the negotiation model to the evolution of West Coast salmon deliberations. In a parallel fashion, the following section focuses on U.S.‐Mexico relations and the tuna, shrimp, and anchovy fisheries. The last section concludes with remarks on future directions for North American binational fishery relations.     

Modelling the Spatial Behaviour of a Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fleet

Industrial tuna fisheries operate in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but concerns over sustainability and environmental impacts of these fisheries have resulted in increased scrutiny of how they are managed. An important but often overlooked factor in the success or failure of tuna fisheries management is the behaviour of fishers and fishing fleets. Uncertainty in how a fishing fleet will respond to management or other influences can be reduced by anticipating fleet behaviour, although to date there has been little research directed at understanding and anticipating the human dimension of tuna fisheries. The aim of this study was to address gaps in knowledge of the behaviour of tuna fleets, using the Indian Ocean tropical tuna purse seine fishery as a case study. We use statistical modelling to examine the factors that influence the spatial behaviour of the purse seine fleet at broad spatiotemporal scales. This analysis reveals very high consistency between years in the use of seasonal fishing grounds by the fleet, as well as a forcing influence of biophysical ocean conditions on the distribution of fishing effort. These findings suggest strong inertia in the spatial behaviour of the fleet, which has important implications for predicting the response of the fleet to natural events or management measures (e.g., spatial closures).     

Studying small purse‐seine vessel fishing behavior with tuna catch data: Implications for eastern Pacific Ocean dolphin conservation

Despite achievements in dolphin conservation for the tuna purse‐seine fishery of the eastern Pacific Ocean, debate continues about the magnitude and importance of dolphin mortality caused by small (unobserved) vessels. In‐port sampling of tuna catch size composition is a potentially cost‐effective means of identifying unobserved vessels that may be catching tunas associated with dolphins because yellowfin tuna caught in association with dolphins are larger, on average, than those caught in other types of purse‐seine sets. A classification algorithm to predict purse‐seine set type (“dolphin” vs. “nondolphin”) was built from port‐sampling data on yellowfin tuna length‐frequencies and the date and location of fishing of large (observed) vessels. This classification algorithm was used to screen the port‐sampling data of small vessels collected during 2006‐2009, assuming the fishing practices of the two groups resulted in similar catch characteristics. From these results, hypothetical time series of dolphin mortality for small vessels were constructed and incorporated into a population dynamics model, along with mortalities of large vessels. Results suggest that any dolphin mortality of small vessels is unlikely to be substantially affecting trends in dolphin abundance. These results underscore the importance of in‐port sampling, in combination with at‐sea observation and fishery‐independent surveys, to effective management.     

Estimation of overall fishing intensity of tuna longline fishery-yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) fishery in the indian ocean as a case study

According to the FAO catch statistics, the total catch of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) from the Indian Ocean is characterised by decline in the longline fishery and rapid increase in the surface fishery. In the present communication, an attempt has been made to estimate the overall effective fishing intensity of longline fishery for yellowfin tuna by the Japanese longliners during the years 1973–1975. The results on areas and seasons of effective effort expended are presented, along with estimates of tuna availability, effective fishing intensity and the relative gear efficiency.     

基于地统计分析西印度洋黄鳍金枪鱼围网渔获量的空间异质性

西印度洋公海海域是世界上围网黄鳍金枪鱼渔业的主要作业海域之一,根据印度洋金枪鱼委员会1999—2004年的1°×1°的各月黄鳍金枪鱼围网渔获量统计数据,采用地统计方法探索该海域黄鳍金枪鱼渔获量的空间异质性特征及其相关生态动力过程。进行了如下分析:(1)利用GIS制图观察渔获量的时空分布特征,发现其空间格局的变异受到的季节变化和年际变化共同影响,且前者明显强于后者。(2)采用地统计方法计算各月渔获量的空间异质性参数,并按照年际和季节情况分别进行了统计分析,发现渔获量的地统计参数值和变异函数模型有明显的季节和年际差异;渔获量的空间相关距离(变程)平均在1000nm左右,冬季要小于夏季;渔获量的空间变异函数模型主要为相关距离较大且空间依赖性较弱的指数模型;渔获量的空间结构方差比例(平均为65.82%)远大于随机性方差比例(平均为34.18%);渔获量在1°×1°尺度下具有明显的空间自相关性。(3)对地统计参数值和渔获量的相关关系研究,并探讨季节变化下渔获量的空间异质性特征与相关生态动力过程关系,发现各月渔获量随着空间总变异(基台值)增加而增加,两者存在强相关性;各月渔获量和南北和西北-东南向分维数值有一定相关性,意味着海洋动力过程在南北和西北—东南向过程越强,渔获量越低。西印度洋黄鳍金枪鱼围网渔获量的空间变异原因在于季风气候和ENSO循环过程引起的海洋流场、营养盐和温跃层等变化外在因素,以及围网捕捞方式和鱼类的行为方式的内在因素共同导致的。     

Measuring and explaining noncompliance in federally managed fisheries

Abstract

This article focuses on measuring and explaining noncompliance in federally managed U.S. fisheries. Novel measurement techniques are used to characterize the extent and patterns of noncompliance in the northeast groundfish fishery. According to the authors’ estimates, noncompliance increased substantially in 1986 and remained high through 1988 in the groundfish fishery. On Georges Bank during 1987, a quarter to a half of all groundfish vessels were identified as frequent violators, committing closed area violations on about one‐third of their trips and using illegal mesh on nearly all trips. Illegal earnings by a typical frequent violator operating in the groundfish fishery on Georges Bank amounted to $225,000 per year in 1987.

A theory of compliance in fisheries is developed and applied to explain the trends and patterns of noncompliance in the northeast groundfish fishery. Biological and economic forces are shown to be dominant causes of the recent deterioration in compliance. Other contributing factors include weak sanctions and insufficient enforcement resources. The article concludes with a prognosis for the fishery and recommendations for improving compliance.     

Controversies in strategy of marine fisheries development between eastern and western countries

Abstract

The expansion of distant‐water fishing activities of the Eastern countries to date is causing not only a growing concern by the coastal nations but also interest in the theoretical principles and criteria applied for developing a strategy of fishery development in these states. Obviously, there are many discrepancies between Western and Eastern theories in this field. Among them we can quote the concept of inexhaustibility of the ocean living resources, both traditional and new resources. This concept supports a further catch increase. The key problem lies in technological progress. Pure economic criteria are less important factors because the principal task of Eastern fisheries is to stave off shortages of animal proteins in local markets. Consequently, only maximum utilization of fishery resources is accepted. The importance of marine fisheries lies also in generating employment opportunities, principally in land‐related activities. Eastern distant‐water fisheries can continue to develop if the principle of surplus catches and historic rights is respected by coastal nations. Freedom of open‐sea resources utilization should be maintained. The traditional management system of world fisheries is the most desirable solution for future sea regimens. International cooperation in fisheries should be considered not only in economic terms but also as a source of political gains.     

Evidence of separate subgroups of juvenile southern bluefin tuna

Archival tagging studies of southern bluefin tuna (SBT, Thunnus maccoyii) have revealed that juveniles residing in the Great Australian Bight (GAB) over the austral summer undertake seasonal cyclic migrations to the southeast Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea during winter. However, there remains disagreement about the extent of mixing between juvenile SBT regularly caught by longline fleets south of Africa and those observed in the GAB. Some researchers have argued that archival tag recoveries indicate most juveniles reside in the GAB over the austral summer. Others have suggested that recoveries of conventional and archival tags are better explained by a juvenile population consisting of separate groups on the eastern and western sides of the Indian Ocean with limited intermixing. We present analyses of catch and tag recovery data and re‐examine archival tagging studies. The evidence provided strongly favors the hypothesis of separate juvenile subgroups, or contingents, with limited intermixing. We draw some tentative conclusions about the nature of the putative contingents and discuss some implications of these findings for the interpretation of existing datasets and future research priorities. We also provide the first evidence that the migration choices of juveniles that summer in the GAB are influenced by fidelity to winter feeding grounds and suggest this helps explain the collapse of the surface fishery off New South Wales in the 1980s.     

Review of albacore tuna, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus alalunga</Emphasis>, biology,fisheries and management

Albacore is one of the most important commercially harvested species in the world’s oceans. Despite a long history of scientific research, there is no global review or synthesis of knowledge about the species across all oceanic regions. We analysed 613 published studies that report on albacore and summarize the current state of knowledge on biology, stock structure, fisheries and management. To describe the trends in albacore fisheries, we examined the catch and effort databases of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. The stocks of albacore are generally largest in the Pacific Ocean and smallest in the Mediterranean Sea. The biology of Atlantic and Pacific Ocean stocks are well documented, while the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea stocks are more data deficient. These two latter areas should be considered as priorities for future research and data collection in order to better understand the state of global stocks of albacore tuna. Improved information would also assist with delineating stock boundaries needed for sustainable management of this species.     

Feeding ecology of silky sharks Carcharhinus falciformis associated with floating objects in the western Indian Ocean

The silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis is commonly associated with floating objects, including fish aggregating devices (FADs), in the Indian Ocean. While the motives for this associative behaviour are unclear, it does make them vulnerable to capture in the tuna purse seine fishery that makes extensive use of FADs. Here, the diet of 323 C. falciformis, caught at FADs in the Indian Ocean, was investigated to test the hypothesis that trophic benefits explain the associative behaviour. A high proportion of stomachs with fresh contents (57%) suggested that extensive feeding activity occurred while associated with FADs. Multiple dietary indices showed that typical non‐associative prey types dominated, but were supplemented with fishes typically found at FADs. While the trophic benefits of FAD association may be substantial, our results suggest that associative behaviour is not driven solely by feeding.     

Environmental preferences of bigeye tuna, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus obesus</Emphasis>, in the Indian Ocean: an application to a longline fishery

A survey of the fishing grounds for bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus, in the Indian Ocean was carried out for a better understanding of the environmental preferences of bigeye tuna in a longline fishery. Catch rates of bigeye tuna were analyzed with respect to the ranges of depth, temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, and dissolved oxygen. The optimum capture depth, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen range of bigeye tuna were identified as 240.0 m to 279.9 m, 12.0°C to 13.9°C, and 2.00 mg·L⁻¹ to 2.99 mg·L⁻¹, respectively, in the study area of Indian Ocean. Neither salinity nor chlorophyll-a had a detectable effect on the vertical distribution of the adult bigeye tuna. The dissolved oxygen is the principal factor limiting the vertical distribution of bigeye tuna.     

The last jewel in a disintegrating crown— The case of japanese distant water Tuna Fisheries

Japan retains its position as one of the world's major distant water fishing nations. This article analyzes Japan's distant water Tuna Fisheries, which are currently facing significant external and internal constraints on operation of their vessels. It examines multipronged strategies that the industry and the government have adopted to ensure survival of Japan's tuna operations—the last important distant water fishery that remains for Japan's fishing industry.     

Ocean‐scale prediction of whale shark distribution

Aim Predicting distribution patterns of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus, Smith 1828) in the open ocean remains elusive owing to few pelagic records. We developed multivariate distribution models of seasonally variant whale shark distributions derived from tuna purse‐seine fishery data. We tested the hypotheses that whale sharks use a narrow temperature range, are more abundant in productive waters and select sites closer to continents than the open ocean. Location Indian Ocean. Methods We compared a 17‐year time series of observations of whale sharks associated with tuna purse‐seine sets with chlorophyll a concentration and sea surface temperature data extracted from satellite images. Different sets of pseudo‐absences based on random distributions, distance to shark locations and tuna catch were generated to account for spatiotemporal variation in sampling effort and probability of detection. We applied generalized linear, spatial mixed‐effects and Maximum Entropy models to predict seasonal variation in habitat suitability and produced maps of distribution. Results The saturated generalized linear models including bathymetric slope, depth, distance to shore, the quadratic of mean sea surface temperature, sea surface temperature variance and chlorophyll a had the highest relative statistical support, with the highest percent deviance explained when using random pseudo‐absences with fixed effect‐only models and the tuna pseudo‐absences with mixed‐effects models (e.g. 58% and 26% in autumn, respectively). Maximum Entropy results suggested that whale sharks responded mainly to variation in depth, chlorophyll a and temperature in all seasons. Bathymetric slope had only a minor influence on the presence. Main conclusions Whale shark habitat suitability in the Indian Ocean is mainly correlated with spatial variation in sea surface temperature. The relative influence of this predictor provides a basis for predicting habitat suitability in the open ocean, possibly giving insights into the migratory behaviour of the world’s largest fish. Our results also provide a baseline for temperature‐dependent predictions of distributional changes in the future.     

Sharing the water column: physiological mechanisms underlying species-specific habitat use in tunas

Tuna species support some of the world’s largest commercial and recreational fisheries. Their extensive migratory patterns expose them to multiple national and international fisheries and fishery management regimes. Several prized species have become the focus of global conservation efforts and there is a growing worldwide interest in establishing optimal strategies for sustainable tuna fisheries. Although this task has proven to be very challenging, it has taken on a new sense of urgency in the face of the potential effects of global climate change. A better understanding of the interactions between environmental conditions and tuna physiology and how they affect tuna behavior will offer population and stock assessment modelers and fisheries biologists a more mechanistic understanding of tuna distribution patterns and may help predict changes in both geographic and depth-related movement patterns. Indeed, physiological data comprise a growing component of multi-trait analysis approaches to species conservation. Our review aims to summarize what is known about differences among tuna species in distribution patterns, tolerances to environmental conditions, and physiological characteristics that correlate with the capacity to inhabit cooler (deeper, higher latitude) and even hypoxic waters. To achieve this goal, we discuss how these physiological traits are associated with habitat partitioning within the three-dimensional oceanic environment and with niche expansion into cooler and hypoxic waters. We also point out areas where additional research is needed to predict more accurately how future changes in oceanographic conditions will affect the distributions and movement patterns of tunas and their availability to fisheries.     

Identification and measurement of tropical tuna species in purse seiner catches using computer vision and deep learning

Fishery monitoring programs are essential for effective management of marine resources, as they provide scientists and managers with the necessary data for both the preparation of scientific advice and fisheries control and surveillance. The monitoring is generally done by human observers, both in port and onboard, with a high cost involved. Consequently, some Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) are opting for electronic monitoring (EM) as an alternative or complement to human observers in certain fisheries. This is the case of the tropical tuna purse seine fishery operating in the Indian and Atlantic oceans, which started an EM program on a voluntary basis in 2017. However, even when the monitoring is conducted though EM, the image analysis is a tedious task manually performed by experts. In this paper, we propose a cost-effective methodology for the automatic processing of the images already being collected by cameras onboard tropical tuna purse seiners. Firstly, the images are preprocessed to homogenize them across all vessels and facilitate subsequent steps. Secondly, the fish are individually segmented using a deep neural network (Mask R-CNN). Then, all segments are passed through other deep neural network (ResNet50V2) to classify them by species and estimate their size distribution. For the classification of fish, we achieved an accuracy for all species of over 70%, i.e., about 3 out of 4 individuals are correctly classified to their corresponding species. The size distribution estimates are aligned with official port measurements but calculated using a larger number of individuals. Finally, we also propose improvements to the current image capture systems which can facilitate the work of the proposed automation methodology.     

The Jeannette Diana Dispute

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss the recent fisheries dispute between the United States of America and the Solomon Islands (S.I.) The paper reviews the background of the dispute, considers its implication for the S.I, and argues that the United States has violated international law by not recognizing the sovereignty of the S.I. over its tuna resources. It is also argued that the imposition of an embargo by the United States on the importation of tuna products from the S.L is a violation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.     

Chile's Presential sea proposal: Implications for straddling stocks and the international law of fisheries

Abstract

Despite rapid evolution in international fisheries law and establishment of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), straddling stocks still remain susceptible to heavy harvesting in high seas areas by distant‐water fishing states there by undermining coastal state management. The notion mar presencial (presential sea) has recently been proposed by Chile as a solution for the problem of straddling stocks. The presential sea concept was nationally designed and promoted to curtail such foreign fishing in areas adjacent to Chile's EEZ. This article examines the presential sea as a geostrategic concept, its justification for being, and the question of its permissibility under contemporary international fisheries law. Attention is also given to recent international developments that challenge the legal viability of the presential sea concept. The authors conclude that if this concept were to be widely adopted by coastal states, the traditional freedom to fish on the high seas might be severely compromised. The preferable legal solution is to work within the parameters set out by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, more particularly through bilateral negotiations between coastal states and fishing states, as well as regional fishery commissions that could manage activities in the region.     

The 1998 Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program: Recent Developments in the Tuna-Dolphin Controversy in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

The problem of incidental dolphin mortality in the eastern Pacific Ocean fisheries for yellowfin tuna is one of the longest running controversies in the modern international law of fisheries. Although initiatives in the last 30 years have been successful in reducing incidental mortality from very high levels to relatively modest levels, most of these have been either unilateral actions, principally by the United States, or voluntary agreements among the states concerned. In 1998, however, these states concluded a binding agreement that formalized and extended the existing voluntary arrangements. This article reviews the developments that led to the adoption of the 1998 agreement, summarizes its provisions, and looks at events since its adoption.