Seafood to Avoid Yellow fin tuna Scientific name: Thunnus albacares Other names: Ahi, Shibi Ranking: E (Red - Worst Choice)

Icon Explanations

Description:  Yellowfin are caught as a bycatch in the northern bigeye and southern bluefin tuna longline fisheries  The New Zealand catch is a very small part (0.03%) of the Pacific fishery which is now managed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

The main concerns with this fishery are: uncertainty about the state of the stocks, the bycatch of sharks, seabirds and fur seals, and the lack of a stock assessment, catch limits or a management plan, and ecological impact of removal of a top predator species..

The fishery assessment plenary report states: ÒThe 2006 assessment using the 6 region model indicates that over-fishing is occurring in the WCPO (Fcurrent/FMSY ³ 1, with 73% probability), but the stock is not yet in an overfished state (Bcurrent/BMSY >1, with 95% probability). The trajectory of these stock status reference points indicates that the stock has been declining rapidly in recent years, and fishing mortality at current levels will probably move the yellowfin stock into an overfished state.Ó ÒThe stock size is presently above the level necessary to produce the maximum sustainable yield. Current catches from the stock are not sustainable. Current catches will move the stock towards and then below a size that will support the maximum sustainable yield.Ó (MFish, 2007, p1008).

Status and sustainable yield
Status: Stock is likely to above Bmsy but at current catches will move below this level.
Annual catch limit: Catch limit of 263 tonnes set in 2004.
Recorded catch: Latest reported annual landings of 14 tonnes in 2006 within the EEZ, which is minor compared to Western and Central Pacific catches of over 400,000 tonnes.
Population size: South Pacific migratory population.
Stock trends: Declining stock size and catches are unlikely to be sustainable.

Fishing method
Method: Longlining around the North Island.
Habitat damage: Low with pelagic longline fisheries.
Bycatch: Seabird, sharks and New Zealand fur seals are caught in the longline fishery.
Ecological effects: Removal of large predator species as bycatch in the longline fishery.

Management
Stock assessment: A recent completed quantitative stock assessment for the Western and Central Pacific Conservation Fisheries Scientific Committee.
Management plan: No.
Quota Management Species:   Yes since 2004.

Biology
Distribution:  Yellowfin tuna are caught on the west coast and east coast of the North Island.
Maximum age (years): 8
Age at sexual maturity: 2
Growth rate: Medium.
Reproductive output: Medium.
Age exploited: 2

References: Overview of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries, 2000, A Lewis and P Williams, Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, New Caledonia, August 2001; National Tuna Fishery Report 2001 Ð New Zealand, T Murray and L Griggs, NIWA; Hampton, J., Langley, A and Kleiber, P. (2006). Stock assessment of yellowfin tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean, including an assessment of management options. WCPFC-SC2-2006/SA WP-1. . Second meeting of the WCPFC-Scientific Committee, 7-18 August 2006, Philippines. (www.wcpfc.org/); Report from the Fishery Assessment Plenary, May 2007: stock assessments and yield estimates. Part 1: Albacore to Groper. Sullivan et al, Science Group, Ministry of Fisheries; Guidebook to New Zealand Commercial Fish Species, Revised Edition 1990, NZ Fishing Industry Board.

This page was updated on 9 November, 2007