The global commercial catch of tuna reached 5 million metric tons (MT) in 2014, up from 4.6 million MT in the previous year, and now accounts for approximately 6 percent of the world’s 81.5 million MT marine catch, finds the latest Tuna Stock Status Update report published by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).
Skipjack accounted for 57 percent of the total tuna catch, followed by yellowfin (27 percent), bigeye (9 percent), albacore (6 percent) and bluefin (1 percent).
Purse seine vessels harvested 64 percent of the tuna, followed by longline methods (12 percent), pole-and-line (9 percent), gillnets (4 percent) and miscellaneous fishing gear types (11 percent).
The ISSF report states that 77 percent of the total volume of tuna catches worldwide in 2014 was from stocks at a “healthy level of abundance.” A previous, preliminary update, published in February, said 78 percent of tuna catch was from healthy stocks in 2014, compared to 87 percent in 2013, 86 percent in 2012, and 94 percent in 2011.
From a perspective of tuna stocks, 44 percent of tuna stocks globally are at a healthy level of abundance, 39 percent are overfished and 17 percent are at an intermediate level. Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) bigeye tuna, for example, continues to be slightly overfished and was downgraded from a “green” (healthy abundance) rating to a “yellow” (intermediate) rating since the February report. Other overfished stocks were Western Pacific Ocean (WPO) bigeye, Atlantic Ocean bigeye, and Indian Ocean yellowfin.
“While 77% of the world’s tuna catch comes from healthy stocks, it is important to remember that there are four stocks – representing 13% of the catch – that are being overfished,” said Dr. Victor Restrepo, ISSF vice-president of science. “Even though there are management measures in place for them, these measures are proving to be insufficient to end overfishing – and a greater effort is required.”
