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Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

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Common name - Yellowfin tuna
Scientific name - Thunnus albacares
Rating
  • 1
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  • 5
Caught at sea Troll, Pole & line
Capture Area Indian Ocean  FAO 51,57
Stock Area Indian Ocean
Stock Detail All Areas
Summary
The most recent stock assessment for Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna suggests that the stock is neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing.
Biology
Tuna belong to the family Scombridae. They are large, oceanic fish and are seasonally migratory, some making trans-oceanic journeys. Yellowfin are found throughout the world's tropical and subtropical seas, except the Mediterranean. They often form large, size specific schools, frequently associated with dolphins or floating objects. Yellowfin is a large fast growing species, reaching maximum sizes of 240cm in length, 200kg in weight and an age of 8 years. They mature when 2 to 5 years old and mainly spawn in summer. Smaller fish are mainly limited to surface waters, while larger fish are found in surface and deeper waters, but rarely below 250m. Yellowfin has medium resilience to fishing.
Stock Information
The current stock assessment for the Indian Ocean Yellowfin tuna stock (December 2011) suggests that the stock is neither overfished (B>BMSY), nor experiencing overfishing (F<FMSY). However the spawning stock biomass (SSB) has decreased markedly over the last decade with recent stability owed to declines in catch and effort in the Long line and Purse seine fleets, possibly attributable to the piracy situation in the western Indian Ocean. The resource is currently harvested sustainably; however it is unlikely that the stock could sustain an increase in effort, thus it is important that Indian Ocean Tuna Commission step up measures to regulate the fishery.
Capture Information
Handline fishing and trolling are selective and have little bycatch. Pole & line fishing consists of a bamboo or plastic pole, 10 to 15 feet in length, with a line and a feathered barbless hook attached to the smaller end of the pole, capable of handling a fish weighing below 23kg. Bycatch is thought to be low (providing fishery is not conducted nearby anchored FADs) and discard survival high. Baitfish are used to promote a feeding frenzy in the tuna schools, however these are often taken from reefs - the impact of this removal upon the reef ecosystem is unknown but potentially significant. Baitfish can also be cultured.
Alternatives
(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)
Read what the consumer pages of the Good Fish Guide say about this species.