Interactions of tuna Pacific fisheries Volume Summary 1 report and on papers interaction FAO Proceedings of the First Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries 3-11 December 1991 Noumea, New Caledonia Edited by Richard S. Shomura Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology Manoa University of Hawaii, USA Honolulu, Hawaii, Jacek Majkowski FAO Fisheries Department Sarah Langi Neiafu, Vava'u Tonga Thedesignationsemployedandthepresentationofmaterialinthis publicationdonotimplytheexpressionofanyopinionwhatsoeveron the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nationsconcerningthelegalstatusofanycountry, territory,cityor areaorofitsauthorities,orconcerningthedelimitationofIts frontiers orboundaries. M-43 ISBN 92-5-103453-2 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechani- cal,photocopyingorotherwise,withoutthepriorpermissionofthecopyrightowner. Applicationsforsuchpermission,withastatementofthepurposeandextentofthe reproduction,shouldbeaddressedtotheDirector,PublicationsDivision,Foodand Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations, Viale dette Termedi Caracalla, 00100Rome, Italy. FAO 1994 iii PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT This publication results from the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries hosted in Noumea, New Caledonia by the South Pacific Commission in cooperation with the Institut Franpais de Recherche Scientifique pour le D6veloppement en Cooperation from 3 to 11 December 1991. The Consultation was organized by the FAO Trust Fund project: "Cooperative Research on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries9* in close collaboration with regional and national institutions involved in tuna fisheries research in the Pacific (see Acknowledgements). The information presented at the Consultation was compiled by TUNET, a network of ten Working Groups organized by the FAO project. That information was contributed by scientists of the regional and national institutions studying tuna stocks and fisheries mainly in the Pacific, but also outside of the region. Distribution FAO Fisheries Department FAO Regional Fisheries Officers FAO fisheries projects and programmes International fisheries organizations National fisheries departments National fisheries research laboratories Members of TUNET (FAO's network of working groups studying tuna fisheries interactions in the Pacific) iv Shomura, R.S.; Majkowski, J.;Langi, S. (eds.) Interactions of Pacific tuna fisheries. Proceedings of the first FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries. 3-1 1 December 1991 . Noumea, New Caledonia. Volume 1 : summary report and papers on interaction. FAQ Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 336, Vol.1. Rome, FAO, 1993. 326p. ABSTRACT This publication presents papers and discussions of the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries held in Noumea, New Caledonia from 3 to 1 1 December 1991 . The objectives of the Consultation included: the identification and documentation of concern related to interactions among fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species in the Pacific, the classification of these interactions, the review of information on them and methods for their study, and the formulation of recommendations for future research. Volume 1 contains: the Summary Report of the Consultation, a review paper on methods for studying interactions in tuna fisheries, thirteen papers presenting new methods and case studies on such interactions, and seven reviews on fisheries interactions related to individual stocks of Pacific tuna and tuna-like species. Volume 2 includes: eleven review papers on the biology, population dynamics and fisheries associated with the stocks of Pacific tuna, which are supplemented by four additional papers on specific fisheries. The information contained herein demonstrates the potential for interactions occurring between and among the fisheries directed at tunas and tuna-like species. Empirical evidence for such interactions, however, has been available for only few fisheries, and these interactions have been quantified for even fewer fisheries. It is unclear whether interactions are insignificant among fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species or whether scientists are unable to detect these interactions possibly due to various changes to fisheries and resources, resulting in a too-variable background which conceals the effects of interactions. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The editors of this document would like to thank Convenors of TUNET's Working Groups, Session Chairmen, Rapporteurs and participants of the Consultation for their effort and collaboration in preparing the Summary Report of the Consultation (see Volume 1 of this document). Thanks are also due to authors and referees of the papers for their valuable contributions. Valuable assistance and advice were received from Dr William Bayliff, Ms Mary Lynne Godfrey, and Mr Robert Harman in the editing and from Mr Harman in the final formatting and lay-out of the document. The Consultation and its Proceedings were made possible through the close cooperation of tuna scientists in the Pacific region. Funds for the organization of the Consultation were provided by the Government of Japan and by FAO. Technical expertise, data, and computer facilities for the preparatory work and the Consultation were contributed by many institutions, especially: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Hobart, Australia), FAO/UNDP Regional Fisheries Support Programme (Suva, Fiji), Indo-Pacific Tuna Programme (Colombo, Sri Lanka), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (La Jolla, USA), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Madrid, Spain), Institut Franpais de Recherche Scientifique pour le D6veloppement en New Cooperation (Noumea, Caledonia), Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Wellington, New Zealand), National Marine Fisheries Service (La Jolla and Honolulu, USA), National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries (Shimizu, Japan), South Pacific Commission (Noumea, New Caledonia), and South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency (Honiara, Solomon Islands). National research laboratories of many countries of Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific also contributed significantly to the work before and during the Consultation. Particular thanks are extended to local organizers from the institutions hosting the Consultation, Dr Anthony Lewis of the South Pacific Commission in Noumea, New Caledonia and Mr Renaud Pianet of the Institut Francais de Recherche Scientifique pour le D6veloppement en Cooperation also in Noumea. The editors would like to acknowledge the assistance and encouragement of the staff of the Fishery Resources and Environment Division and the Operations Service of the FAO Fisheries Department (Rome, Italy), the FAO/UNDP Regional Fisheries Support Programme (Suva, and the Indo-Pacific Tuna Programme Fiji), (Colombo, Sri Lanka) and particularly to Dr John Caddy, Dr Serge Garcia, Mr Robert Gillett, Mr Andhi Isarankura, Dr Yasuhisa Kato, Mrs Christiane Lagrange- Hall, Mr Toshifumi Sakurai, Mr Mitsuo Yesaki, and Mr Hugh Walton. vii INTERACTIONS OF PACIFIC TUNA Proceedings of the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries PREFACE Tunas and tuna-like species are extremely valuable commercially, especially albacore, bigeye, northern and southern bluefm, skipjack, and yellowfm tuna. Collectively, these species are referred to as principal market tuna species, and are prized for canning, sashimi (raw fish dishes), and other products. The lesser known tuna species, however, should not be discounted because they provide considerable in-country commerce and are important sources ofprotein in some parts of the world. In recent years, the Pacific Ocean has become the dominant ocean for tuna landings. Between 1980 and 1991, the annual catch of tuna and tuna-like species in the Pacific increased by 68% to about 3 million metric tons (mt). The 1991 Pacific total catch represented about 68% of the world's catch of these species. While these very high catches in the Pacific are impressive, some recent studies suggest that there is potential for still higher sustainable catches of some species. The increases in the catches of Pacific tunas and tuna-like species have resulted from both intensification and expansion ofexisting fisheries, and the development ofnew fisheries. These changes have led to overlap ofareas of operations of large and small- scale fisheries, as well as competition for the same tuna resources by large-scale fisheries using different gear. Detecting or predicting even this most direct type of interaction, however, is difficult and presents a serious research challenge. Presently, two or more tuna fisheries may be operating simultaneously on the same stock in overlapping geographical areas, targeting fish of similar sizes. In such a situation, changes in the A fishing intensity or pattern of one fishery may affect the catches of the other fisheries. further factor in fisheries interaction among tunas is the ability of many tuna species to undertake rapid, long distance movements or migrations across or even between oceans. Under these circumstances, fisheries operating in different exclusive economic zones and on the high seas may significantly affect each other. The knowledge of fisheries interactions is essential for rational management of fisheries. The principal market tuna species and many tuna-like species are recognized by the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as highly migratory. Recently, considerable attention has been directed to the need for rational management of fisheries for highly migratory species and resources that straddle adjacent exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Such management would enhance economic and social benefits to the countries involved in fishing, processing, and trade of these resources. Presently, small-scale tuna fisheries exist in many developing countries in the Pacific, and many of these fisheries operate in the same areas as the large industrial tuna fisheries (purse seine, and and pole line, longline). viii From 6 to 8 May 1992, the International Conference on Responsible Fishing was held in Cancun, Mexico, leading to the Cancun Declaration. From 7 to 15 September 1992, FAO organized the Technical Consultation on High Seas Fishing held in Rome, Italy, to consider technical issues related to such fishing. As a consequence of these meetings, FAO is involved in addressing the issue of flag ofconvenience. This issue is of major relevance to tuna fisheries and their management because many tuna vessels use such flags of convenience to avoid restrictive measures imposed by certain countries. Also, FAO actively participates in the development of a Code of Conduct of Responsible Fishing, which will apply to both the high seas and economic exclusive zones. In a broader context, fisheries issues were considered at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 3 to 14 June 1993. The outcome of this Conference is relevant to fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species. The existing programme of action on environment and development (referred to as Agenda 21 or the Rio Declaration) and the two Conventions on Biodiversity and Climate Change are now open for ratification. These initiatives represent an important commitment at the highest national political level to resolve a wide range of problems associated with rational use of marine resources. According to UNCLOS, fisheries management needs to be based on the best available scientific information. The recent attention directed to fisheries management of highly migratory and high seas resources has pointed the need for scientific information on interactions of fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species. This need has also become evident at recent regional and international meetings of fisheries scientists and administrators. In the Pacific, where most catch of tuna and tuna-like species is taken, there is an additional urgent need to integrate available information and to coordinate fisheries research. The Pacific is the only ocean where there is neither a single fisheries body nor a technical programme directed to tuna and tuna-like species that encompass the entire ocean. Some of the Pacific stocks of tuna and tuna-like species are only partly covered by existing fisheries bodies and programmes in terms of their areas ofdistribution. This FAO situation promoted to initiate a project: "Cooperative Research on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries'1 and to create a network of ten working groups of scientists (TUNET) to provide direction and to facilitate the implementation of the project. To provide an information base for the execution of the project, FAO organized the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries hosted in Noumea, New Caledonia, by the South Pacific Commission with collaboration of the Institut Francais de Recherche Scientifique pour le Developpement en Cooperation (ORSTOM) from 3 to 11 December 1991. The Consultation was preceded by a preparatory meeting held in Noumea in late 1989, The success of the Consultation was due to the close collaboration and contribution of many other institutions; these institutions and the host organizations are duly acknowledged in the Summary Report presented in Volume I. The objectives of the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries included describing the concerns related to interactions of Pacific fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species, classifying these interactions, reviewing all