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I. DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERY 



Albacore in the Atlantic Ocean are distributed from approximately 50' 

 N to 40° S latitude although most catches come from temperate waters 

 (Figure 1) . 



I. A. History of the Fishery 



The south Atlantic fishery began in 1956 when longliners, 

 principally from Japan, began fishing in the Atlantic. Japan dominated the 

 industry from 1956 through the mid-1960' s. Since then Taiwan and Korea 

 have greatly increased their share of the catch (Figure 2). 



I.B. Trends in Catch and Effort 



Albacore catches in the south Atlantic rose steadily from 20 mt in 

 1956 to an early peak of 36,000 mt in 1966. Following a 45% drop in 

 recorded catch in 1967, the catch rose erratically to a record high of 

 42,000 mt in 1972. Since 1972 the catch has been in the 20,000 to 23,000 

 mt range (Figure 3), with a reported catch in 1979 of 22,000 mt. Longline 

 effort has increased from near zero in 1956 to a peak of 100 plus million 

 effective hooks in 1972 and 1973. Since 1973, effective effort has 

 remained high, near 100 million hooks. 



I.e. Value of Catch 



Reliable ex-vessel price data for foreign fleets are not readily 

 available. Assuming a value of $1,800 per mt (the approximate price paid 

 U.S. fishermen), the south Atlantic albacore catch averaged about $36 

 million per year from 1973 to 1977. The 1979 catch was worth about $40 

 million. 



I.D. Current Management of the Fishery 



There are no international fisheries management measures currently 

 in force for the south Atlantic albacore stock. 



