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I.e. Value of Catch 



Ex-vessel prices for bluefin at California canneries have 

 historically been set just below yellowfin prices, but above those for 

 skipjack. In 1979, 6,743 mt at an ex-vessel price of $l,023/mt were caught 

 in the eastern Pacific, for an ex-vessel value of $6.9 million. Although 

 the price increased to $I,298/mt in 1980, only about 3,000 mt have been 

 caught for an ex-vessel value of $3,9 million. In 1980 about 130 mt of 

 bluefin were delivered to the Los Angeles fresh fish markets at prices near 

 $2,200/mt, for a value of about $300,000. 



Ex-vessel prices of northern Pacific bluefin at Yaizu, Japan, 

 fluctuated between $4,400 and $13,970/mt in 1979. In all, 454 mt were 

 landed for a value of $2.5 million. During 1980, the price has fluctuated 

 between $2,310 and $15,950/mt; through September, 1,179 mt were landed for 

 an ex-vessel value of $5.1 million. 



The total value of combined eastern and western Pacific ex-vessel 

 price data for northern Pacific bluefin for 1980 was about $9 million. 



I.D. Current Management of the Fishery 



The only regulation of eastern Pacific bluefin is a 7.5-lb size 

 limit in California, but the limit is superfluous since bluefin of that 

 size are rare in the eastern Pacific. In the western Pacific, there are 

 some regulations on the number of vessels fishing for particular species, 

 but this is not restricted to bluefin. 



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

 PARTICIPATION IN THE FISHERY 



The U.S. commercial fleet currently fishes bluefin incidentally, as 

 most of the tuna effort is directed towards yellowfin and skipjack. Since 

 the ex-vessel price of bluefin is only $20/short ton less than that for 

 yellowfin, skippers will set on bluefin, if a school of sufficient size is 

 located, or will "top off" the load with bluefin on the return to port. 



Since most of the U,S, catch is taken within 200 miles of the shore 

 off Baja California, the negotiations concerning Mexico's 200-mile limit 

 will have significant bearing on future U.S. catch of bluefin. Exclusion 

 of U.S. fishing from current bluefin areas could shift the U.S. fishing 

 effort beyond the Mexican 200-mile limit, or return it to the California 

 Bight. 



