-161. 



IV. B. Current Research Efforts 



There are currently no U.S. research efforts directed specifically 

 toward the conservation and/or exploitation of yellowfin tuna resources in 

 the ETP per se. What research there is concerns itself mainly with 

 tuna/porpoise- related issues. 



The lATTC is the organization primarily responsible for conducting 

 research on the yellowfin tuna industry. Its studies on the ETP yellowfin 

 fishery and resource required a scientific and support staff of 50 in 1979. 

 The U.S. contributed $1,607,200 of the lATTC's $2,746,339 operating budget. 



IV. C. Future Research Needs 



1) Effort standardization needs to be investigated in the 

 multi species U.S. tuna fishery. 



2) An ETP tuna fishery economic data base needs to be 

 establ ished. 



IV.C.l. Suggested Approach and Methods 



1) The Southwest Fisheries Center (SWFC) currently 

 conducts no research on ETP yellowfin tuna, but it might be able to utilize 

 data contained in its tuna/porpoise data base to confirm results of certain 

 lATTC analyses. These data could also be used to investigate effort 

 standardization in the U.S. tuna fishery. 



2) An ETP tuna fishery economic data base could be 

 established on an individual fleet basis in order to analyze the economic 

 impacts of proposed management policies. To supplement the economic data, 

 it will be necessary to acquire some extensive information on vessel/fleet 

 operations in the ETP (i.e., days at sea, days fished, species catch 

 compositions, areas exploited, and fishing techniques) from the 

 vessel s/ fleets for which economic data are obtained. Other considerations 

 which will help complete the economic picture include disposition of 

 catches, costs of processing, inventory-holding and distribution of final 

 products, economic feasibility of plant relocations, consumer demand 

 characteristics, and international trade in ETP tuna and tuna products. 



