Research Priorities of the SPC Oceanic Fisheries Programme. John Hampton Oceanic Fisheries Programme Secretariat of the Pacific Community

Transcription

1 Research Priorities of the SPC Oceanic Fisheries Programme John Hampton Oceanic Fisheries Programme Secretariat of the Pacific Community

2 Outline Tuna fishery and stocks OFP Strategic Plan Research priorities

3 WCPFC Convention Area 150E 160E 170E W 160W 150W 140W 130W Western and Central Pacific & Eastern Pacific boundary 10S 0 10N 20N 30N Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission boundary 30N 20N 10N 0 10S 30S 20S 20S 30S 150E 160E 170E W 160W 150W 140W 130W

4 Purse seine 150E 160E 170E W 160W 150W 140W Catch Distributions 10S 0 10N 20N 30N 30S 20S Catch , ,000 50,000 Bigeye Skipjack Yellowfin 30N 20N 10N 0 10S 20S 30S 150E 160E 170E W 160W 150W 140W Longline 150E 160E 170E W 160W 150W 140W 30S 20S 10S 0 10N 20N 30N Catch ,000 10,000 2,000 Albacore Bigeye Yellowfin 30N 20N 10N 0 10S 20S 30S 150E 160E 170E W 160W 150W 140W

5 2,500,000 Catch by gear Other Tuna Catch Total catch (tonnes) 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 Purse seine Pole & line Longline 500, ,500,000 Catch by species Total catch (tonnes) 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000, ,000 Yellowfin Skipjack Bigeye Albacore

6 Status of Tuna Stocks - Summary Skipjack Current catches sustainable and could be increased But increased purse seine effort will put more pressure on bigeye and yellowfin stocks Yellowfin Overfishing likely, particularly in equatorial zone Albacore (South Pacific) Current catches sustainable, could possibly be increased (although CPUE declines may impact profitability) Bigeye Overfishing currently occurring Limits on longline and purse seine catches/effort required

7 OFP Strategic Plan Goal Fisheries exploiting the region s resources of tuna, billfish and related species are managed for economic and ecological sustainability using the best available scientific information

8 OFP Strategic Plan Objectives 1. Accurate and comprehensive scientific data for regional and national fisheries management authorities 2. High-quality scientific information and advice for regional and national fisheries management authorities on the status of, and fishery impacts on, stocks targeted or otherwise impacted by regional oceanic fisheries 3. Improved understanding of pelagic ecosystems in the western and central Pacific Ocean

9 Research Priorities Stock Assessment (objective 2) Improvement in stock assessment methods MULTIFAN-CL software developments, including sex & multispecies Estimation of standardized abundance indices and effort, including estimation based on high resolution operational data Appropriate stock assessment model structure, particularly spatial structure Enhancement of stock assessment data Improvements in catch & effort, size & species composition data Tagging data

10 Tagging Data in Stock Assessments 40N 0 20N Movement and mixing 40S 20S 160E W 140W 120W 100W 80W Mortality Growth

11 Regional Tuna Tagging Project Skipjack Yellowfin Bigeye 0 10N 20N Skipjack tuna releases n = N 20N Yellowfin tuna releases n = N 20N Bigeye tuna releases n = S 10S 150E 160E 170E N 20N Skipjack tuna returns n = S 10S 20S 10S 150E 160E 170E S 10S 20S 10S 150E 160E 170E N 20N Yellowfin tuna returns n = N 20N Bigeye tuna returns n = S 10S 150E 160E 170E E 160E 170E E 160E 170E 180

12 A New Tagging Project To provide information on: Current levels of fishing mortality (conventional tags) Movement (mixing), mortality, growth (conventional tags) Effects of FADs Local-scale behaviour (archival tags) On meso-large-scale movement (conventional + archival)

13 Regional Tuna Tagging Project 2 Phase 1 PNG Conventional and electronic tagging Exploitation rates and FADs Budget ~ $1.5 million Currently have finding commitments from GEF, EU, NZ, PNG (but scope for other collaboration) Phase 2 the rest Additional funding of about $3.5 million Further funding likely through the WCPFC Coordinate with IATTC tagging in the EPO

14 Tag Displacements Pre-FADs

15 145E 150E PNG FADs 0 5S 0 5S 145E 150E

16 Research Priorities Ecosystem Understanding (objective 3) Impacts of environmental variation on the ecosystem (and fisheries) SEAPODYM-type models Empirical approaches, e.g. Kirby s work Impacts of fisheries on ecosystem Trophic interactions Modelling bottom-up (SEAPODYM) and top-down (ECOPATH-SIM) Multi-species statistical models Special habitats & biodiversity Effect of FADs Seamounts By-catch By-catch estimation Status and fishery impacts on protected species

17 Summary of Key Priorities Stock assessment methodology Model development Abundance indices (particularly longline, but maybe purse seine) Tagging (conventional and electronic) Stock assessment inputs FADs Ecosystem research Modelling Trophic studies