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.