Profile updated on 4 March 2021

SUMMARY

SUMMARY

IDENTIFICATION

SCIENTIFIC NAME(s)

Thunnus albacares

SPECIES NAME(s)

Yellowfin tuna

Yellowfin tuna is considered a single population in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) for stock assessment purposes (Vincent et al. 2020 and references cited therein), although there is still uncertainty about the stock structure along the Pacific Ocean.

The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) is an Oceania subregional agreement between the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvatu, and the Marshall Islands. The PNA coordinates the implementation of management measures with a view to enhancing economic benefits from the fishery. Member countries of the PNA have adopted and implemented distinct Vessel Day Schemes for the longline and purse seine fisheries, whereby they allocate fishing days to a country which are sold to the highest bidder. The PNA unassociated (free school) fishery was MSC certified in 2011. All the PNA parties are Members of the WCPFC.

The Indonesian fleet was made up of 150 longline, 72 purse seine, 23 pole and line, 1 gillnet, 182 support vessels and 2 unknown vessels during 2012. Indonesia reported 16,729 t landed by longlines, 11,617 t by purse seine, 1,864 by pole and line, 2,051 by handline and 15,338 t of yellowfin tuna by other gears during 2012 { Indonesia 2013}.


ANALYSIS

Strengths
  • Yellowfin tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) is managed at the international level by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
  • The National Tuna Management Plan of Indonesia has been developed as a product of a joint cooperation between the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia and the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The aims of the management plan are to support the effective implementation of the tuna fisheries management in a sustainable way (MMAF 2012). Indonesia has also launched a National Plan of Action for tuna, skipjack and neritic tuna in November of 2014 (MMAF 2014). Yellowfin tuna populations are healthy and fishing mortality rates are currently sustainable.

FISHSOURCE SCORES

Management Quality:

Management Strategy:

≥ 6

Managers Compliance:

≥ 6

Fishers Compliance:

≥ 8