Yellowfin tuna

Het gaat matig met het yellowfin tuna stock in the Atlantic Ocean. The stock is currently at a sustainable level and is slowly increasing. However, there are indications that future fishing pressure could lead to overfishing.

There are indications that purse seine fisheries using FADs may affect ETP species, particularly sharks and turtles. Discard mortality accounts for up to 20% of the total catch, while less than 8% of the landed catch consists of non-target species.

Purse seine fisheries without FADs also have a considerable impact on ETP species, particularly seabirds, turtles and sharks. Around 25% of the catch is discarded, and more than half consists of unmanaged, unassessed or overfished species, including bigeye tuna. There are also indications of negative impacts on the ecosystem. The impact on benthic habitats and the carbon footprint is limited, while the risk associated with abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear is moderate.

The management of yellowfin tuna falls under the responsibility of ICCAT. The stock is sufficiently monitored, but the available data are not fully representative, creating uncertainty around the stock assessment. The management measures appear insufficient to ensure sustainable target levels. Measures concerning ETP species, discards, ecosystem impacts and IUU fishing are only partly effective due to overly lenient regulations and weak enforcement.

There is reasonable doubt as to whether the current measures are sufficient to maintain the size and structure of the stock at sustainable levels.

Four purse seine fisheries are involved in a FIP, and four are MSC-certified.

Yellowfin tuna is a fish species that travels great distances throughout its life. Its remarkable endurance is partly due to the high concentration of myoglobin in its muscles. This myoglobin is what gives yellowfin tuna meat its red colour, unlike the flesh of many other fish species.

After skipjack tuna—the species most commonly found in canned tuna on supermarket shelves—yellowfin tuna is the most widely caught tuna species. Most yellowfin tuna is caught in the Pacific Ocean (61%), followed by the Indian Ocean (31%).

When you order a tuna steak in a restaurant, there is a good chance that yellowfin tuna is the species on your plate. To give the tuna an especially attractive red colour and to disguise reduced freshness, this species is occasionally treated with beetroot juice.

There are several MSC-certified yellowfin tuna fisheries, the majority of which are located in the Pacific Ocean. In many cases, yellowfin tuna is caught together with albacore or skipjack tuna. MSC-certified tuna fishers catch their tuna using purse seines or pole and line.

Yellowfin tuna is a fish species that travels great distances throughout its life. Its remarkable endurance is partly due to the high concentration of myoglobin in its muscles. This myoglobin is what gives yellowfin tuna meat its red colour, unlike the flesh of many other fish species.

After skipjack tuna—the species most commonly found in canned tuna on supermarket shelves—yellowfin tuna is the most widely caught tuna species. Most yellowfin tuna is caught in the Pacific Ocean (61%), followed by the Indian Ocean (31%).

When you order a tuna steak in a restaurant, there is a good chance that yellowfin tuna is the species on your plate. To give the tuna an especially attractive red colour and to disguise reduced freshness, this species is occasionally treated with beetroot juice.

The yellowfin tuna stock in the western and central Pacific Ocean is low and below the reference level. Nevertheless, the stock is not overfished. Pole-and-line fishing is highly selective, with little bycatch and no discards. Baitfish are caught for use in this fishery. The long-term effects of catching baitfish are uncertain but are likely to be minimal. The fishery does not cause damage to vulnerable habitats. Management of the pole-and-line fishery in the western and central Pacific Ocean is partly effective.

The yellowfin tuna stock in the Indian Ocean is in poor condition. Although fishing pressure has decreased in recent years, the stock is still heavily overfished. Current fishing mortality and catches remain well above the level associated with maximum sustainable yield (MSY), while the spawning stock biomass is only 31% of its original level.

The purse seine fishery can be directly linked to threats to several ETP species, including rays and sharks, which are subsequently discarded. Although the mortality rate of these species is estimated at only 1–5%, bycatch and discards are believed to be substantially underreported. There are also indications that the fishery disrupts the functioning of the local ecosystem, both indirectly through the bycatch of non-target species and directly through the removal of tuna itself. The risk of lost fishing gear is also among the highest of the fishing methods assessed. However, purse seines have relatively low carbon emissions, and their impact on the seabed is negligible because the nets do not come into contact with the benthos.

The management of yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean falls under the responsibility of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Data are collected for commercially valuable species such as yellowfin tuna, which is caught in large quantities by industrial fleets, but there is considerable uncertainty about the reliability of these data.

Measures to combat illegal and unreported fishing and to protect ETP species and the local ecosystem are largely ineffective due to weak enforcement and poor compliance. Sample-based estimates indicate that catches may be around 30% higher than those reported to the IOTC, while compliance with regulations and catch targets has declined in recent years.

The yellowfin tuna stock in the Indian Ocean is in poor condition. Although fishing pressure has decreased in recent years, the stock is still heavily overfished. Current fishing mortality and catches remain well above the level associated with maximum sustainable yield (MSY), while the spawning stock biomass is only 31% of its original level.

The purse seine fishery can be directly linked to threats to several ETP species, including rays and sharks, which are subsequently discarded. Although the mortality rate of these species is estimated at only 1–5%, bycatch and discards are believed to be substantially underreported. There are also indications that the fishery disrupts the functioning of the local ecosystem, both indirectly through the bycatch of non-target species and directly through the removal of tuna itself. The risk of lost fishing gear is also among the highest of the fishing methods assessed. However, purse seines have relatively low carbon emissions, and their impact on the seabed is negligible because the nets do not come into contact with the benthos.

The management of yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean falls under the responsibility of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Data are collected for commercially valuable species such as yellowfin tuna, which is caught in large quantities by industrial fleets, but there is considerable uncertainty about the reliability of these data.

Measures to combat illegal and unreported fishing and to protect ETP species and the local ecosystem are largely ineffective due to weak enforcement and poor compliance. Sample-based estimates indicate that catches may be around 30% higher than those reported to the IOTC, while compliance with regulations and catch targets has declined in recent years.

The yellowfin tuna stock in the Indian Ocean is in poor condition. Although fishing pressure has decreased in recent years, the stock is still heavily overfished. Current fishing mortality and catches remain well above the level associated with maximum sustainable yield (MSY), while the spawning stock biomass is only 31% of its original level.

Pelagic longline fishing can be directly linked to threats to declining ETP species, particularly seabirds, turtles and sharks. Discard mortality accounts for approximately 25% of the total catch. More than 50% of the catch consists of unmanaged, unassessed or overfished species. There are indications that the fishery is likely to cause long-term changes to the food web or the functioning of the ecosystem. Pelagic longline fishing does not damage benthic habitats and has low carbon emissions. There is a moderate risk associated with abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear, and no measures are in place to reduce this risk.

The management of yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean falls under the responsibility of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Data are collected for commercially valuable species such as yellowfin tuna, which is caught in large quantities by industrial fleets, but there is considerable uncertainty about the reliability of these data.

Measures to combat illegal and unreported fishing and to protect ETP species and the local ecosystem are largely ineffective. They are largely statements of intent, with weak enforcement and poor compliance. Sample-based estimates indicate that catches may be around 30% higher than those reported to the IOTC, while compliance with regulations and catch targets has declined in recent years.

Four pelagic longline fisheries are involved in a FIP, and one fishery is MSC-certified.