Yellow Fin Tuna: Quick Facts
Scientific name: Thunnus albacares
Other names: Yellowfin, thon juane (France), Ahi, Shibi, kiwada (Japan)
Ranking: E (Red - Worst Choice)
Best Fish Guide: Yellow Fin Tuna
Ranking: E (Red - Worst Choice)
Alternative choice: Albacore tuna or skipjack tuna
Description: Yellowfin tuna is a migratory species, found mainly in the warm ocean waters of northern New Zealand and moving south in summer to East Cape. Like many tuna, it is an important oceanic predator, regulating the abundance of other marine species. They are caught as a bycatch in the northern bigeye and southern bluefin tuna longline fisheries on the west and east coast of the North Island. The New Zealand catch is a very small part (0.03%) of the Pacific fishery, which is now managed by an international body – the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
Ecological concerns: The lack of a stock assessment, catch limits and a management plan, therefore the high uncertainty about the state of the stocks. Other concerns include declining catch rates, the bycatch of sharks, seabirds and fur seals, plus and ecological impact of removing this top predator species on wider oceanic food webs.
Economic value: The export value of yellowfin tuna was $150,000 in 2008, with the main markets in Japan, Australia and the USA. The export value of all tuna species combined was $38 million in 2010. Yellowfin tuna quota was valued at $100,000 in 2009.
ASSESSMENT OUTPUT
Biology and risk of overfishing (score B)
Status and sustainability of fish catches (score D)
Impact of fishing method and protected, threatened and endangered species captures (score D and E)
Management and management unit (score C and D)
For a full ecological assessment, click here
