Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Bcur/BMSY: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to FMSY.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FSYcur: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a sustainable yield at the current biomass level.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Bcur/BMSY: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to FMSY.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FSYcur: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a sustainable yield at the current biomass level.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Bcur/BMSY: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to FMSY.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

Probably Fully exploited.

Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FSYcur: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a sustainable yield at the current biomass level.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Bcur/BMSY: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to FMSY.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

The following classification of the status of stocks is used throughout this document.

• U Non-fully exploited.
• F Fully exploited.
• O Overexploited.

For Further clarifications on the criteria for the classification of fish stock status, see the Source Report (Appendix - Assessment methodology, Table 1)
A summary on the status of various stocks of tuna and tuna-like species is given in Table D19. It was obtained by interpreting results of stock assessments according to the classification procedure adopted by FAO in this review. Those assessments available at the time of preparation of this review (end of March 2011) were taken mostly from Web pages of:

• Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT );
• Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC ) for the eastern Pacific;
• International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT );
• Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC );
• Western Central Pacific Fishery Commission (WCPFC ).

The knowledge and data on the principal market tunas are generally much better than those for other species of tuna and tuna-like species. They have been studied for many years and more research effort is devoted to them. However, even for these species, significant uncertainties exist in the basic biological knowledge and data. For example, relatively recent research indicates that the life span of southern bluefin tuna, one of the best studied tuna, may be considerably longer than previously believed. Moreover, for this species, as compared with trade statistics, the catches were substantially under reported for a number of years. For Atlantic bluefin tuna, another well-studied species, officially reported catches might be significantly smaller in the past than those actually taken. This conclusion is based on information from a trade-based statistical programme introduced by ICCAT (Miyake, 1998) as well as from capacity estimates (ICCAT, 2009). When considering the information on the stock status, uncertainties in stock assessment need to be taken into account.

Most tuna stocks are fully exploited, some are overexploited. Generally, some temperate tuna species (i.e. Atlantic and southern bluefins [most desired for sashimi]) are much more overexploited (depleted) than any of the tropical tuna species. For the Pacific bluefin (also used for sushimi), the yield-per-recruit could be increased if the number of small bluefin caught by trolling and purse seining can be reduced.

The stocks of albacore (temperate species) used mostly for canning are not fully exploited in the South Pacific but they are fully exploited in the Indian Ocean and the South Atlantic and overexploited in the North Atlantic and the North Pacific. The status of albacore in the Mediterranean Sea is unknown.

Generally, most tropical principal market tunas have reacted well to exploitation owing to their very high reproductive potential, wide geographical distribution, opportunistic behaviour and other population dynamics characteristics that make them highly productive. With proper management, they are capable of sustaining high yields.

There may still be potential for increasing catches of skipjack in the western and central Pacific with lower potential in the other oceans. However, skipjack are caught together with tuna species that are fully exploited or overexploited. Therefore, until more selective fishing methods are developed, it is not desirable to increase the catches of skipjack.

Most other stocks of tropical tunas have become fully exploited and a few are overexploited. Generally, a possibility of further deterioration in the status of tropical tunas should not be underestimated. Concerns are increasing over the exploitation of bigeye in all oceans. This is another species that is highly desired for sashimi and has a shorter life span than bluefin. In addition to possibly causing overfishing in the future, the increasing purse seine catches of small bigeye may negatively affect the yield per recruit.

The status of many tuna and tuna-like species other than the principal tunas is highly uncertain or simply unknown. Therefore, the intensification of their exploitation raises concerns. Significant uncertainties in the status of many billfishes represent a serious conservation problem. Some stocks are overexploited in the Atlantic and the Pacific, while their status is mainly unknown in the Indian Ocean. Because of commercial exploitation, there is more known about swordfish than other billfishes. In the Mediterranean Sea, the swordfish stock seems to be overexploited, but the overall situation in the remainder of the Atlantic and Pacific is more optimistic. However, in the Indian Ocean, there are concerns about the intensification of swordfish fishing owing to the risk of potential local overexploitation.

Fully exploited for Cephalopholis taeniops and moderately exploited for others.

Probably fully exploited.

Probably Fully exploited.

The spawning biomass increased noticeably between 2010 and 2015 but has subsequently declined and the 2018 estimate of 18,537 t represents only 31% of B_lim (60,000 t). The 2006 year class remains relatively strong and at age 12 in 2018 makes up more than half of the estimated SSB. Subsequent year classes are much weaker, suggesting that the medium-term prospects for the stock are not good. Fishing mortality values over the past decade have been low and well below F_lim (0.3).

Overexploited in Ghana.

low level.

Overexploited in Ghana.

Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Bcur/BMSY: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to FMSY.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

The stock is estimated to be at 1.4 x B_msy. There is a low risk of the stock being below B_msy. Fishing mortality is below F_msy (0.22 F_msy), and the probability of being above F_msy is very low. Recent recruitment (2005 – 2013) appears to be above average.

Fully exploited (for Selar).

Fully exploited in Nigeria, Overexploited in Cameroon.

Unknown, maybe not fully exploited.

Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Bcur/BMSY: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to FMSY.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FSYcur: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a sustainable yield at the current biomass level.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

Fully exploited, Overexploited

Probably Moderately exploited.

Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1. Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term. Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1. Bcur/BMSY: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to FMSY.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

In the absence of reference points the state of the stock cannot be fully evaluated. Commercial cpue indicates a general decrease in stock biomass from the late 1980s to the early 1990s; after this it has been relatively stable. All available survey biomass indices have been stable in the last 5 years.

• Both Suriname and Guyana stocks are fluctuating at or above their MSY level (Figure 1).
• However, both stocks are low compared to the unexploited state and on average is below the 40% SSB0 (Figure 2), although this is precautionary for finfish rather than shrimp.
• There is some evidence of seasonality in spawning stock biomass (Figure 3). Although seasonality is present in the recruitment, this pattern is weaker. The seasonality is opposite between Suriname and Guyana.
• There is no evidence that recruitment has been reduced significantly by fishing (Figure 4).
• Fishing mortality has tended to be higher than FMSY for Suriname but fluctuating around or lower than FMSY for Guyana in recent years (Figure 5).
• Suriname has dome-shaped, but highly uncertain, selectivity. Guyana selectivity is logistic in shape and appears more typical for trawl (Figure 6).

The stock boundaries for demersal elasmobranch species in Subareas VIII and IX are unknown.

In the absence of defined reference points, the status of the stocks of demersal skates and rays (members of the family Rajidae) and demersal sharks (of the genera Scyliorhinus , Mustelus, and Squatina) cannot be evaluated. The following provides a qualitative summary of the general status of the major species based on surveys and landings:

In the absence of defined reference points, the status of the stocks of demersal skates and rays and demersal sharks cannot be evaluated. The following provides a qualitative summary of the general status of the major species based on survey and landings data.