UNIT 5 



ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY PELAGIC FISHERIES 



36 



INTRODUCTION 



Migratory high-seas Fishes (called "oceanic 

 pelagics") are caught for sport and/or 

 commerce. In the Atlantic Ocean, sword- 

 fish and bluefin tuna have long provided 



important fisheries, while in recent years, 

 yellowfin tuna have become important to 

 U.S. fishermen. 



SPECIES AND STATUS 



Important species include swordfish, blue- 

 fin tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, alba- 

 core, skipjack tuna, blue and white marlin, 

 sailfish, longbill spearfish, and other minor 

 fishes. Many anglers catch billfish, blue 

 marlin, white marlin, and sailfish in U.S. 

 waters and occasionally longbill spearfish. 

 Commercial fishing for them in (J.S. waters 

 is now banned, but the species may be 

 accidentally caught on tuna and swordfish 

 longlines. 



From the early 1960's through 1977, 

 (J.S. fishermen averaged about 5,000 1 per 

 year (2,000-12,000 t/year) of oceanic pe- 

 lagics (Fig. 5-1). Since 1978, U.S. fisher- 

 men have caught 8,000 t or more per year, 

 and during 1987-89 they averaged 18,130 

 t/year. However, the estimated current po- 

 tential yield of oceanic pelagics is 13,335 

 t/year, and the long-term potential yield to 

 the U.S. fleet is estimated at 23,47 1 t (Table 

 5-1). 



Since 1960, the top species in the U.S. 

 harvest has shifted from bluefin tuna to 

 swordfish to yellowfin tuna (Fig. 5-1) as 

 each species became increasingly over- 

 fished. In 1961-73, bluefin tuna repre- 



sented 45-80% of the U.S. western Atlantic 

 catch. But since 1977, the percentage has 

 dropped to less than 10%, reflecting the 

 crash in the bluefin tuna population (Fig. 

 5-1), catch restrictions, and the increasing 

 harvests of alternate species. During 1961- 

 73, swordfish represented 5-20% of the 

 U.S. catch, rose to 60% in 1982, but has 

 since dropped to about 33% (Fig. 5-1). 

 During 1961-83, the percentage of 

 yellowfin tuna in the U.S. North Atlantic 

 catch was usually less than 10%, but that 

 has since risen to 45%. 



The U.S. dockside value of these fishes 

 soared from about $20 million (early 

 1980's) to over $100 million in 1988. Dur- 

 ing 1987-89, the average annual dockside 

 value was $96.5 million. 



Angler harvests of large pelagic fishes 

 are hard to tally because their catch is 

 comparatively small. Also, tagging and re- 

 leasing of some species have grown in 

 recent years, so fewer are landed. The 

 average annual catch by anglers for 1987- 

 89 is conservatively estimated at 1,900 t. 

 Fishing tournament surveys indicate a sub- 

 stantial increase in billfish fishing since 



Figure 5-1.— U.S. landings of 

 tunas, swordfish, martins, 

 sailfish, and spearfish from the 

 western North Atlantic Ocean, 

 and the percentage of the total 

 landings made up of the primary 

 species (bluefin and yellowfin 

 tuna and swordfish), 1961-90. 



o 

 c 

 o 



1960 



200 



150 



100 ° 



1965 



1970 



1975 



1980 



1985 



1990 



