Recent developments in the tuna industry: Stocks, fisheries, management, processing, trade and markets

Authors: MP Miyake, P Guillotreau, C-W Sun, G Ishimura

Short abstract: A global overview of tuna stocks, markets and management systems is provided in this FAO document. The paper concludes that management of tuna will require RFMOs to make allocation decisions in the future, and that socio-economics factors will need to be incorporated.

Full abstract: This paper reviews the world tuna stock status based on the results of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) scientific reviews. Even though the biomass of most of the world’s tuna stocks is generally above but close to the reference point, for a few stocks fishing mortality is above the maximum sustainable yield level indicating that the stock is being overfished. World tuna fisheries are reviewed from the standpoint of catches, technological developments and economics. Finally, tuna management measures taken by RFMOs are reviewed, including those used to mitigate bycatch. Gear and species interactions are specifically discussed in terms of allocations of the stocks between fisheries. The paper also analyses tuna trade, processing, markets, consumption, price and profits for sashimi, fresh tuna steak, katsuobushi (dried skipjack stick) and canned tuna. The marketing of sashimi has changed very substantially from an exclusive Japanese market to a global one. Because of the recent rapid increase in competition among fisheries, species, industries and even products (sashimi/fresh tuna vs. canned), the most important and most urgent issue is how to manage and allocate tuna resources among these competitors (e.g. using fishing capacity control measures and/or catch allocations).

Link: https://www.atuna.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/i1705e-b13.pdf