APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
fishing concentrated in the eastern Pacific off Centrai and 
South American coasts. The primary species caught are the 
yellowfin and skipjack tunas. An NMFS official said that 
purse seiners capture over three-quarters of the U.S. tuna 
catch and are vastly superior in terms of catch per unit of 
effort expended, compared to other methods of tuna fishing. 
Baitboats catch tuna differently than purse seiners. 
When a baitboat locates a tuna school, live bait is thrown 
overboard in an effort to lure the tuna to the boat. When 
the tuna begins to feed actively, they are fished with 
poles, to which are attached baited hooks or lures. With 
each strike, the crewmember pulls the tuna aboard the ves- 
sel. 
An NMFS report stated that the baitboat fleet had 53 
vessels in 1975, with an aggregate carrying capacity of 
5,253 tons. The baitboat's crew size ranges from 4 to 10 
men. We were told baitboats capture primarily yellowfin, 
skipjack, and albacore tuna, usually off Mexican and 
Central American coastal waters. 
An NMESVotiicrvall coilld uss that tuna trolversefalshmp iri = 
marily for albacore tuna. Since albacore do not school as 
cohesively as yellowfin or skipjack, according to NMFS, the 
troller depends upon attracting albacore with a variety of 
hooks and lures, using possibly 10 to 14 lines. When an 
albacore strikes a lure, the fisherman hauls it aboard, 
places it in the hold, resets the line, and continues fish- 
ing. 
Trollers make up the bulk of the U.S. tuna fleet with 
approximately 2,000 vessels. These vessels may be crewed 
by one to three men. Trollers fish for albacore from 
northern Washington to central Mexican waters. 
The U.S. tuna fleet's capital financing came from 
personal investment, tuna processors, and government finan- 
cial assistance programs. Tuna processors assisted in 
financing vessels to assure themselves of raw material 
through contractual agreements with vessel owners. As of 
1969, 115 vessels in the U.S. tuna fishery had received 
$26.4 million from government financial assistance programs. 
According to Living Marine Resources, Incorporated, 
tuna vessels in 1974 represented over 30 percent of the re- 
placement value of the entire U.S. fishing fleet. At 1974 
construction costs, the replacement value of the tuna fleet 
was just under $500 million. 
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