Annual Oregon Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) Report, 2017

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: Matteson, Keith

Publish Date: 2017

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 or 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 early fall months. Albacore has been fished commercially off Oregon since 1929 when the fishery expanded north from the traditional grounds off Southern California. Originally, both bait-boats and jig-boats fished for albacore off Oregon, but in recent years jig-caught (troll-caught) albacore have predominated. Bait fishing with live anchovies is once again beginning to gain some popularity, especially late in the season, but is still less common in Oregon due to live anchovies not being available in Oregon ports. 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. An agreement under the US/Canada Albacore treaty allows up to 45 Canadian vessels to fish and land tuna in the US EEZ, between June 15 and September 15. Several Canadian vessels again took advantage of this agreement to land albacore into Oregon this year. Commercial albacore landings in Oregon 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.

Purpose:

Time Period of Content: 1987-2017

Geographic Extent: Oregon Coast

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: PDF

Data Quality Information

Lineage-Source: Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission Contract No. 17-40C; Amendment 1 Subcontract of NOAA Award Number NA16NMF4370321.

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