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effective hooks in 1953 to 547 million effective hooks in 1977 (Table 3). 

 Most of the longline fishing effort in the early years was expended by 

 Japan, and although Korea and Taiwan have increased their longline effort 

 in recent years, Japanese longliners still account for a large part of the 

 total effort. 



I.e. Value of Catch 



The mean annual ex-vessel price of yellowfin tuna at Yaizu, Japan, 

 ranged from $511 to $1,873 per short ton from 1969 to 1978 ([U.S.] National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, 1969 to 1978; Federation of Japan Tuna Fisheries 

 Cooperative Association and Japan Tuna Fisheries Federation [1976?]); the 

 ex-vessel price ranged from $985 to $1,984 per short ton from 1968 to 1977 

 in Hawaii^ (Figure 3). Based on the mean ex-vessel price of $1,815 per 

 short ton in 1978 at Yaizu, Japan, the value of the western Pacific 

 yellowfin tuna catch in 1978 was $387,166,528. 



I.D. Current Management of the Fishery 



The western Pacific yellowfin tuna is not currently under 

 management 



II. NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF U.S. AND FOREIGN 

 PARTICIPATION IN THE FISHERY 



The yellowfin tuna is one of the important species caught in the 

 Hawaiian longline fishery. It is also an important species in the 

 recreational fishery in Hawaii. 



Yellowfin tuna are landed at American Samoa, Tahiti, and other island 

 areas where U.S. interests operate canneries or transshipment facilities. 

 American purse seiners have also been making exploratory fishing voyages in 

 the western Pacific. 



Hawaii Division of Fish and Game. Commercial fish catch by species, 

 State of Hawaii. (Issued monthly; also annual summaries.) 



