Annual Oregon Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) Report, 2015

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: Heath, Christian

Publish Date: 2015

Online Link: None

BPA Project #:

Contact Information

Agency: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Name: Cedric Cooney

Job Position: Natural Resources Data and Systems Manager

Telephone: 503-947-6094

E-Mail Address: cedric.x.cooney@odfw.oregon.gov

Description

Abstract: Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) is a highly migratory species found worldwide in temperate seas. Albacore caught off Oregon belong to the North Pacific stock and are generally juvenile and sub-adult fish that have not spawned. During their trans-Pacific migrations, albacore are targeted at different times of the year by fisheries of several nations including the United States, Canada, Taiwan and Japan. The United States west coast fishery harvests this stock during the summer and fall months. Albacore has been fished commercially off Oregon since 1929 when the fishery expanded north from the traditional grounds off Southern California. For many years, both bait-boats and jig-boats fished for albacore off Oregon, but in recent years jig-caught (troll-caught) albacore have been predominantly landed. However, bait fishing with live anchovies is growing in popularity with an increasing number of vessels employing this technique with much success, especially late in the season, for the past several years. The west coast fleet consists primarily of 20 to 60 foot ‘combination’ boats with multiple permits to fish crab, salmon, or groundfish at other times of the year. There are also several large freezer boats (>60 ft.) that travel the North and South Pacific year-round while primarily fishing for albacore. Commercial albacore landings in Oregon were first recorded in 1929, and have been highly variable through the years, ranging from a low of 27,600 pounds in 1936 to a high of almost 38 million pounds in 1968. In the last decade, landings in Oregon have averaged 9.5 million pounds per year. Beginning in 2005 under the Highly Migratory Species Fisheries Management Plan, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) required vessels to submit logbook data while fishing for albacore inside the 200 mile Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). Prior to this, the logbook program was voluntary and only vessels fishing outside the EEZ were required to submit logbooks under the High Seas Fishing Compliance Act. Sampling of Oregon’s commercial albacore fishery is a cooperative effort between the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC). This report documents the progress of the 2015 fishery off Oregon and associated sampling activities. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Ocean Recreational Boat Survey (ORBS) made adjustments to sampling protocol beginning in 2000 to better estimate effort and catch in the growing recreational albacore fishery off Oregon. Recreational fishing for albacore off Oregon has grown in popularity since 2000, and especially in the past nine years. Catches have ranged from a low of 2,901 fish (approximately 57,000 pounds) in 2000 to a high of 63,167 fish (approximately 1,105,000 pounds) in 2012. Since 2006, catches have averaged 37,103 fish (approximately 705,000 pounds) per year.

Purpose:

Time Period of Content: 2015

Geographic Extent: Oregon

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: PDF

Data Quality Information

Lineage-Source: Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission Contract No. 16-02C Subcontract of NOAA Award RA133F15SE0663

Data Information

No data information was supplied.

Entity and Attribute Information

Attributes Description: Field attribute information is available in the attached file(s).

Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? Unknown