Tuna and billfish catches

Tuna and tuna-like species are very important economically and a significant source of food. They include approximately forty species occurring in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea. Their global production has tended to increase continuously from less than 0.6 million tonnes in 1950 to almost 6 million tonnes today.

The so-called principal market tuna species are most important among the tuna and tuna-like species from the catch weight and economical view points. They are landed in numerous locations around the world, traded on the nearly global scale and also processed and consumed in many locations worldwide. In 2003, their catch was approximately four million tonnes, which represents about 65% of the total catch of all tuna and tuna-like species. Most catches of the principal market tuna species are taken from the Pacific (64.2% of the total catch of principal market tuna species in 2003), with the Indian contributing much more (25% in 2003) than the
Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea (10.8% in 2003).

Global tuna nominal catches

A searchable database containing, for the principal market tuna species, nominal catches by fishing gear, species, stock, fishing country and year for 1950 to 2003.

Approximate contributions of individual principal market tuna species to their 2003 total catch is given below.

PRINCIPAL MARKET TUNAS

Albacore (ALB)3.6%
Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT)less than 1%
Bigeye tuna (BET)9.9 %
Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF)less than 1%
Southern bluefin tuna (SBF)less than 1%
Skipjack tuna (SKJ) 51.6%
Yellowfin tuna (YFT)33.7%

Atlas on tunas and billfishes

An interactive Atlas presenting the global distribution of 1950 to 2003 catches, at 5° latitude by 5° longitude resolution, of those tuna and tuna-like species for which this distribution is generally well known on the global scale. These species consist of the so-called principal market tunas and some billfishes.

PRINCIPAL MARKET TUNAS BILLFISHES
albacore (Thunnus alalunga), ALB Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), BUM
bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), BET Atlantic white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus), WHM
northern bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), BFT black marlin (Makaira indica), BLM
skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), SKJ Indo-Pacific blue marlin (Makaira mazara), BLZ
southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii), SBF striped marlin (Tetrapturus audax), MLS
yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), YFT swordfish (Xiphias gladius), SWO

 

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