JAPAN". TUNA CATCH BY SPECIES 



IN MILLIONS 

 Of FOUNDS 

 9O0, 



BREAKDOWN 

 NOT AVAILABLE 



OTHER 



BLUEFIN 



BIGEYE 

 YELLOWFIN 



ALBACORE 

 SKIPJACK 



Figure 9. — Japan: Tuna catch by species 

 (1948, 1953, 1957). 



ISO 

 125 



too 



75 

 SO 

 35 





 100 



SKIPJACK 



ill III II 



YELLOWFIN 



47-50 195/ 1952 1953 1951 1955 1956 /957 



Figure 10. — Total Japanese tuna catch by 

 species (1947-50 and 1951-57). 



Japan 



The Japanese tuna fisheries are diver- 

 sified and produce species both for home 

 consumption and for a constantly increasing 

 export trade. The principal species con- 

 sumed by the Japanese are skipjack, bluefin, 

 and bigeye tuna. Albacore and yellowfin 

 tuna are mainly exported. In 1953 Japan's 

 tuna catch was h.92 million pounds; by 1957 

 it had reached 877 million pounds (fig. 9). 



One of the most noticeable changes in 

 the Japanese tuna fishing industry has been 

 the increasing use of long-line gear for 

 fishing operations throughout the Pacific, 

 Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans. Long 

 liners accounted for li8 percent of the tuna 

 catch in 1957 compared with 36 percent in 



195U. 



3h figure 10 the average annual land- 

 ings of the principal tuna species are given 

 in one panel for the years through 1950 and 

 in the other for the years 1951 through 

 1957. Only the skipjack catch has remained 

 relatively constant throughout these two 

 periods. Striking increases in the catches 

 of yellowfin and bigeye tuna are largely due 

 to the advent of long -line fishing. 



Table 5. — Japan: Tuna catch by species, 

 1948, 1953, and 1957. 

 (in millions of pounds) 



Species 



1948 



1953 



1957 



Albacore 



Yellowfin 



Bigeye 



Bluefin 



Skipjack 



Other 1/ 



Total 



125.0 



125.0 



491.5 



877.2 



Note: Data not available on 1948 breakdown 

 by species. 



1/ Includes frigate mackerels and probably 

 some bonito. In 1957, also includes 

 17.8 million pounds of young tunas not 

 broken down by species. 



United States 



The trend in the United States catch 

 of tuna has been downward. Figure 11 and 

 table 6 shows the United States catch, in- 

 cluding that of Hawaii for 19U8, 1953, and 

 1957; Puerto Rican landings are not included. 



24 



