ICCAT 6 ICCAT SCRS Reports 9294 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) +34 9141 65600 +34 9141 52612 adolfo.lima@iccat.es http://www.iccat.int 90 Standing Committee on Research and Statistics Standing Committee on Research and Statistics Standing Committee on Research and Statistics 6 Stock status report ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (ICCAT-SCRS) FIRMS Reports Rapports FIRMS 2012-02-01 6 Albacore - Mediterranean Sea 2496 Albacore Germon Atún blanco Тунец длинноперый 3616 Mediterranean Sea 5018 Mediterranean Sea 5019 Canary Current 10 Atlantic, Northeast Atlantique, nord-est Atlántico, nordeste 12 Atlantic, Eastern Central Atlantique, centre-est Atlántico, centro-oriental 13 Mediterranean and Black Sea Méditerranée et mer Noire Mediterráneo y Mar Negro 2010 2011 Mediterranean albacore
Scientific studies on albacore stocks, in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and the Mediterranean, suggest that environmental variability may have a serious potential impact on albacore stocks, affecting fisheries by changing the fishing grounds, as well as productivity levels and potential MSY of the stocks. Those unexplored aspects might explain recently observed changes in fisheries, such as the lack of availability of the resource in the Bay of Biscay in recent years, or the apparent decline in the estimated recruitment which are demanding focussed research.

The expected life-span for albacore is around 15 years. While albacore is a temperate species, spawning occurs in tropical waters. In the Mediterranean, there is a need to integrate different available studies so as to better characterize growth of Mediterranean albacore. Besides some additional recent studies on maturity, in general, there is poor knowledge about Mediterranean albacore biology and ecology.

More information on albacore biology and ecology is published in the ICCAT Manual. ]]> Mediterranean
The catch series was revisited and compared to additional sources of information. This allowed identifying some catches that were not included in the ICCAT database, which requires further revisions. In 2010, the reported landings were 2,123 t, a 47% decrease from 4,021 t taken in 2009 (]]>
Estimated catches (t) of albacore (Thunnus alalunga) by area, gear and flag.
      1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
TOTAL 88568 82778 67295 63342 67492 56344 69627 73086 71812 67517 60379 59585 59039 67058 71165 69916 60094 61539 53378 57728 67389 48827 42310 42235 40673
  ATN   47568 38153 33059 32071 36882 27949 30863 38135 35163 38377 28803 29023 25746 34551 34200 26254 22741 25644 25960 35318 36989 21991 20483 15386 19649
ATS 37288 40630 30173 27212 28714 26016 36562 32813 35300 27552 28426 28022 30595 27656 31387 38796 31746 28002 22543 18881 24453 20269 18857 22828 18900
  MED   3712 3996 4063 4060 1896 2379 2202 2138 1349 1587 3150 2541 2698 4851 5577 4866 5608 7893 4874 3529 5947 6566 2970 4021 2123
ATN Bait boat 15217 18794 15933 15374 18625 8985 12448 15646 11967 16411 11338 9821 7562 8780 12148 6104 6638 7918 8128 10458 14273 8497 7932 4994 6026
Longline 21232 7296 3013 2239 2683 5315 3152 7093 7309 4859 4641 4051 4035 6710 7321 7372 6180 7699 6917 6911 5223 3237 2647 2625 4028
Other surf. 213 343 994 1652 3865 3999 5173 7279 7506 3555 3337 4378 6846 6817 5971 2828 422 551 697 624 625 525 274 427 325
Purse seine 60 1 97 12 1 222 139 229 292 278 263 26 91 56 191 264 118 211 348 99 188 198 70 89 99
Trawl 0 262 1693 2240 1033 469 2603 1779 2131 3049 2571 2877 1318 5343 3547 5374 5376 3846 2369 7001 6385 3429 4321 2811 2026
Troll 10847 11457 11329 10554 10675 8959 7348 6109 5959 10226 6652 7870 5894 6845 5023 4312 4007 5419 7501 10224 10296 6105 5239 4440 7146
ATS Bait boat 6829 8181 7696 7393 5981 3454 6490 7379 8947 7091 6960 8110 10353 6709 6873 10355 9712 6973 7475 5084 5876 3374 4346 9777 5271
Longline 29815 30964 21894 19407 21590 22008 27162 23947 24806 20040 21000 19547 19799 20640 24398 28039 21671 20626 14735 12977 17740 15087 13218 12695 13392
Other surf. 400 537 398 411 1139 137 393 39 483 10 209 127 0 73 58 377 323 82 299 288 395 1762 1219 211 122
Purse seine 244 948 185 0 4 416 2517 1448 1064 412 257 117 434 183 58 25 39 309 16 533 441 45 75 145 114
  Trawl 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 120 9 52 0 0 0 12 18 0 0 0 0 0  
MED Bait boat 0 0 0 0 83 499 171 231 81 163 205 0 33 96 88 77 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Longline 324 164 168 165 624 524 442 410 350 87 391 348 194 417 2800 2597 3706 4248 2345 2012 3010 4119 2695 1580 1717
Other surf. 3068 3782 3879 3879 1098 1198 1533 879 766 1031 2435 1991 2426 4265 2689 2193 1755 3166 2176 1200 134 1401 250 2414 406
Purse seine 10 50 16 16 91 110 6 559 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 478 353 317 2803 1046 24 25
Trawl 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Troll 310 0 0 0 0 48 50 59 129 306 119 202 45 73 0 0 117 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
  ATN Barbados 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 5 8 10 13 9 7 7 4 6
Belize 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 26 39 416
Brasil 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Canada 1 21 47 22 6 5 1 9 32 12 24 31 23 38 122 51 113 56 27 52 27 25 33 11 14
Cape Verde 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
China P.R. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 8 20 0 0 21 16 57 196 155 32 112 202 59 24 27 142
Chinese Taipei 19646 6636 2117 1294 3005 4318 2209 6300 6409 3977 3905 3330 3098 5785 5299 4399 4330 4557 4278 2540 2357 1297 1107 863 1587
Cuba 31 15 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 322 435 424 527 0 0 0
Côte D'Ivoire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 53
Dominican Republic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 323 121 73 95 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
EU.España 24387 28206 26738 25424 25792 17233 18175 18380 16998 20197 16324 17295 13285 15363 16000 9177 8952 12530 15379 20447 24538 14582 12725 9617 12989
EU.France 1200 1921 2805 4050 3625 4123 6924 6293 5934 5304 4694 4618 3711 6888 5718 6006 4345 3456 2448 7266 6585 3179 3009 1122 1298
EU.Ireland 0 0 0 0 40 60 451 1946 2534 918 874 1913 3750 4858 3464 2093 1100 755 175 306 521 596 1517 1997 788
EU.Portugal 498 433 184 169 3185 709 1638 3385 974 6470 1634 395 91 324 278 1175 1953 553 513 556 119 184 614 108 202
EU.United Kingdom 0 0 0 0 0 0 59 499 613 196 49 33 117 343 15 0 0 0 0 6 19 30 50 67 118
FR.St Pierre et Miquelon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 7 2 0 3 0 0 0
Grenada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 6 7 6 12 21 23 46 25 29 19 20 15 18 18
Iceland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Japan 470 494 723 764 737 691 466 485 505 386 466 414 446 425 688 1126 711 680 893 1336 781 288 402 288 515
Korea Rep. 373 18 16 53 34 1 0 8 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 59 45 12 59 82 201
Maroc 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 81 120 178 98 96 99 130 0
Mexico 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NEI (Flag related) 0 0 0 0 0 11 19 13 10 8 11 3 8 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Panama 525 44 0 0 0 0 29 60 117 73 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 96 298 113 51 154
Philippines 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 151 4 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 8 19 54 22
Sierra Leone 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 91 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
St. Vincent and Grenadines 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 704 1370 300 1555 89 802 76 263 130 135 177
Sta. Lucia 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 3 2 10 0 2 2 2 2 0 130
Trinidad and Tobago 0 0 0 0 4 0 247 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 11 9 12 12 9 12 18 32 17 17
U.S.A. 251 301 288 243 357 479 438 509 741 545 472 577 829 315 406 322 480 444 646 488 400 532 257 189 329
U.S.S.R. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
UK.Bermuda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Vanuatu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 414 507 235 95 20 140 185
Venezuela 187 64 137 41 95 319 205 246 282 279 315 75 107 91 1375 349 162 424 457 175 321 375 222 398 288
ATS Argentina 356 469 344 354 151 60 306 0 2 0 0 120 9 52 0 0 0 12 18 0 0 0 0 0  
Belize 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 54 32 31 213 303
Brasil 520 395 421 435 514 1113 2710 3613 1227 923 819 652 3418 1872 4411 6862 3228 2647 522 556 361 535 487 202 271
Cambodia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
China P.R. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 39 89 26 30 26 112 95 100 35 25 89 97
Chinese Taipei 27592 28790 20746 18386 21369 19883 23063 19400 22573 18351 18956 18165 16106 17377 17221 15833 17321 17351 13288 10730 12293 13146 9966 8678 10975
Cuba 24 10 2 1 2 17 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Curaçao 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 192 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 4
Côte D'Ivoire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 47 43
EU.España 200 807 185 0 0 280 1943 783 831 457 184 256 193 1027 288 573 836 376 81 285 367 758 933 1061 266
EU.France 35 100 0 0 0 50 449 564 129 82 190 38 40 13 23 11 18 63 16 478 347 12 50 60 109
EU.Portugal 1029 899 1153 557 732 81 184 483 1185 655 494 256 124 232 486 41 433 415 9 43 8 13 49 254 84
EU.United Kingdom 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Guatemala 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 0 0 0
Honduras 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 0 0 2 0 7 1 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Japan 739 357 405 450 587 654 583 467 651 389 435 424 418 601 554 341 231 322 509 312 316 238 1370 921 1007
Korea Rep. 321 383 180 54 19 31 5 20 3 3 18 4 7 14 18 1 0 5 37 42 66 56 88 374 39
Maroc 0 41 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NEI (ETRO) 0 0 0 0 4 8 122 68 55 63 41 5 27 0 0 10 14 53 0 15 46 15 0 0
NEI (Flag related) 0 0 0 0 0 149 262 146 123 102 169 47 42 38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Namibia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1111 950 982 1199 1429 1162 2418 3419 2962 3152 3328 2344 5100 1196 1958 4936 1320
Panama 280 924 0 0 0 240 482 318 458 228 380 53 60 14 0 0 0 0 0 17 0 87 5 0 1
Philippines 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 52 0 13 79 45 73
Seychelles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
South Africa 5930 7275 6636 6890 5280 3410 6360 6881 6931 5214 5634 6708 8412 5101 3610 7236 6507 3469 4502 3198 3735 3797 3468 5043 4147
St. Vincent and Grenadines 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2116 4292 44 0 0 0 65 160 71 51 31
U.S.A. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 1 1 2 8 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
U.S.S.R. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
UK.Sta Helena 0 2 1 1 1 5 28 38 5 82 47 18 1 1 58 12 2 0 0 0 62 46 94 81 3
Uruguay 262 178 100 83 55 34 31 28 16 49 75 56 110 90 90 135 111 108 120 32 93 34 53 685 24
  Vanuatu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 684 1400 96 131 64 104
MED Croatia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
EU.Cyprus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 12 30 255 425 507 712 209 223 206
EU.España 0 3 3 0 84 548 227 298 218 475 429 380 126 284 152 200 209 1 138 189 382 516 238 204 277
EU.France 20 60 31 31 121 140 11 64 23 3 0 5 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0
EU.Greece 484 500 500 500 500 500 500 1 1 0 952 741 1152 2005 1786 1840 1352 950 773 623 402 448 191 116 125
EU.Italy 3208 3433 3529 3529 1191 1191 1464 1275 1107 1109 1769 1414 1414 2561 3630 2826 4032 6912 3671 2248 4584 4017 2104 2724 1109
EU.Malta 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 4 0 2 0 10 15 0 1 5 1 2
EU.Portugal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Korea Rep. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Maroc 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 120 0
NEI (MED) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Syria Rep. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 14 0
Turkey 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 30 73 852 208 631 402
    Yugoslavia Fed. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  
]]> ]]>
Some CPUE series for Mediterranean fisheries became available (Figure 3). However, these series were discontinuous and highly variable, with no clear trend over the last couple of decades. Since they are mostly very short, and there is little overlap between time series, they may or may not accurately characterize biomass dynamics in Mediterranean albacore.

The results of the 2011 assessment, based on the limited information available and in simple analyses, point to a relatively stable pattern for albacore biomass in the recent past. Recent fishing mortality levels appear to have been reduced from those of the early 2000s, which were likely in excess of FMSY, and might now be at about or lower that level (Figure 4).

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Due to the fact that the management advice for the Mediterranean stock was based on catch curve analysis and due to the limited quantitative information available to the SCRS, projections for this stock were not conducted. As a result, future stock status in response to management actions could not be simulated. The outlook for this stock is thus unknown.

]]> There are no ICCAT regulations directly aimed at managing the Mediterranean albacore stock.

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MEDITERRANEAN ALBACORE SUMMARY

 

 

 

Current (2010) Yield

2,123 t

Maximum Sustainable Yield

Unknown

Replacement Yield (2009)

Not estimated

SSB2009/SSBMSY

Not estimated

Relative Fishing Mortality

 

F2009/FMSY

<=1 1

Management measures in effect

None

 

 
1 Estimated with length converted catch curve analysis, taking M as a proxy for FMSY.
]]> Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS). Albacore, Executive Summary. Madrid, Spain 3-7 October 2011. ICCAT http://www.iccat.int/Documents/SCRS/ExecSum/ALB_EN.pdf