Preface

Tunas and tuna-like species are extremely valuable commercially. This refers especially to principal market tuna species (albacore, bigeye, northern and southern bluefin, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna). This is because they are highly prized for canning, sashimi (raw fish dishes), and other products. The other tuna and tuna-like species, however, also provide considerable in-country commerce and are important sources of protein in some parts of the world. In recent years, the Pacific has become the dominant ocean for tuna landings (about 65% of the world’s catch of these species). Between 1980 and 1994, the annual catch of tuna and tuna-like species in the Pacific increased by about 70% to approximately 3 million metric tons. There is potential for still higher sustainable catches of some species.

The intensification and expansion of existing fisheries and the development of new fisheries have led to overlap of areas of operations of large and small-scale fisheries, as well as to competition for the same tuna resources by large-scale fisheries using different gear. Presently, two or more tuna fisheries may be operating simultaneously on the same stock in overlapping geographical areas, targeting fish of similar sizes. In such a situation, changes in the fishing intensity or pattern of one fishery may affect the catches of the other fisheries. Even fisheries operating in different exclusive economic zones and on the high seas may significantly affect each other. This is because many tuna species can undertake rapid, long distance movements or migrations across or even between oceans.

The knowledge of fisheries interactions is essential for rational management of fisheries. The principal market tuna species and many tuna-like species are recognized by the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as highly migratory. Recently, considerable attention has been directed to the need for rational management of fisheries for highly migratory species and stocks that straddle adjacent exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Such management would enhance economic and social benefits to the countries involved in fishing, processing, and trade.

From 6 to 8 May 1992, the International Conference on Responsible Fishing was held in Cancun, Mexico, leading to the Cancun Declaration. From 7 to 15 September 1992, FAO organized the Technical Consultation on High Seas Fishing held in Rome, Italy, to consider technical issues related to such fishing. As a consequence of these meetings, FAO has been involved in addressing the issue of flag of convenience. This issue is of major relevance to tuna fisheries and their management because many tuna vessels use such flags of convenience to avoid restrictive measures imposed by certain countries. Also, FAO has actively participated in the development of a Code of Conduct of Responsible Fisheries, which was adopted in 1995 and it will apply to both the high seas and economic exclusive zones.

In a broader context, fisheries issues were considered at the Untied Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 3 to 14 June 1993. The existing programme of action on environment and development (referred to as Agenda 21 or the Rio Declaration) and the two Conventions on Biodiversity and Climate Change are now open for ratification. These initiatives represent an important commitment at the highest national political level to resolve a wide range of problems associated with rational use of marine resources.

Of particular importance to the rational use of resources of tuna and tuna-like species are:

· 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and
· 1995 UN Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.

According to UNCLOS, fisheries management needs to be based on the best available scientific information. The recent attention directed to fisheries management of highly migratory and high seas resources pointed out the need for scientific information on interactions of fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species. Article 5 of the 1995 UN Agreement specifically requires conservation and management measures for straddling stocks and those of highly migratory species to be compatible throughout their range of distribution. This necessitates an understanding of fisheries interactions.

In the Pacific, there is an additional urgent need to integrate available information and to coordinate fisheries research. The Pacific is the only ocean where there is neither a single ocean-wide fisheries body nor technical programme for tuna and tuna-like species. Some of the Pacific stocks of tuna and tuna-like species are only partly covered by existing fisheries bodies and programmes in terms of their areas of distribution. This situation promoted FAO to initiate a project: “Cooperative Research on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries” and to create a network of ten working groups of scientists (TUNET) to provide direction and to facilitate the implementation of the project.

To provide an information base for the execution of the project, FAO organized the First FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries hosted in Noumea, New Caledonia, by the South Pacific Commission with collaboration of the Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Developpement en Cooperation (ORSTOM) from 3 to 11 December 1991. The First Expert Consultation concluded that there is a potential for interactions occurring among the fisheries directed at tunas and tuna-like species. Empirical evidence for such interactions, however, was available for only few fisheries, and these interactions were quantified for even fewer fisheries. It was unclear whether

· interactions are insignificant among fisheries directed at tuna and tuna-like species or whether
· scientists are unable to detect these interactions possibly due to various changes to fisheries and resources,

resulting in a too-variable background which conceals the effects of interactions.

The results of the First Expert Consultation were published in two volumes. Volume 1¹ con-tained the Summary Report of the Consultation and twenty one papers including reviews of tuna fisheries interactions, and their research, especially methods for their studying as well as papers on case studies on tuna fisheries interactions. Volume 2² included eleven reviews on the biology and dynamics of major tuna stocks in the Pacific and their fisheries. Additional four papers of Volume 2 provided background information on some specific tuna fisheries.

¹ Shomura, R.S., J. Majkowski and S. Langi (eds). 1994. Interactions of Pacific tuna fisheries. Proceedings of the first FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries, 3-11 December 1991, Noumea, New Caledonia. Volume 1: Summary report and papers on interaction. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 336 Vol. 1). FAO, Rome. 326p.
² Shomura, R.S., J. Majkowski and S. Langi (eds). 1994. Interactions of Pacific tuna fisheries. Proceedings of the first FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries, 3-11 December 1991, Noumea, New Caledonia. Volume 2: Papers on Biology and Fisheries. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 336 Vol. 2). FAO, Rome. 439p.

Subsequent to the First Consultation, the FAO project encouraged and facilitated cooperative research to address technical problems of tuna fisheries interactions. To assess and evaluate progress in this research, the Second FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries was organized in Shimizu, Japan (23 to 31 January 1995) at the invitation of the Government of Japan and in particular of the National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries. The specific objectives of the Consultation were:

· review and integrate the outcome of the studies on tuna fisheries interactions,
· summarize the extent of tuna fisheries interactions and unsolved research problems, and
· formulate guidelines for research on tuna fisheries interactions.

Sixty one scientists attended the Second Consultation. Prior to the Consultation, it was noted that tuna fisheries interactions occur in other oceans and scientists were beginning to address these problems. As they are similar in all oceans, several papers on tuna fisheries interactions in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were also presented at the Second Consultations and they are included to this publication.

The documentation of the Second FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries is given in two publications. The reference to the Summary Report of the Consultation is:

· Shomura, R.S., J. Majkowski and R.F. Harman (eds). 1995. Summary Report of the Second FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries. Shimizu, Japan, 23-31 January 1995. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 520 FAO, Rome. 58 p.

This publication contains forty papers and two abstracts of papers. The full texts of the later two papers are printed somewhere else. The topic of the papers include:

· reviews of tuna fisheries interactions and their research, particularly methods for their study,
· new methods for studying tuna fisheries interactions and the examination of their applicability,
· case of studies on tuna fisheries interactions, and
· analyses of tuna fisheries involved in interactions and their management.
· an overview of FAO’s project that co-organized and co-sponsored the consultation,

A supplement to an indexed bibliography of papers on tagging of tunas and billfishes, which was printed earlier is also included.

The understanding of tuna fisheries interactions was enhanced significantly by recent studies. However the Consultation noted that the number of quantified interactions is till small due primarily to difficulties associated with evaluating such interactions. The extent of interactions were found to vary in significance depending on the biological characteristics of the species involved. The sizes of fish caught, the local and stock-wide rates of exploitation, and the distance among fisheries. In many of the studies presented, the lack of fisheries data was stressed. In addition, the lack of understanding of movements of fish being studied was noted in several papers. General qualitative guidelines presented in several discussion papers stressed that specifically-designed studies be undertaken to adequately quantify interactions. Well-designed tagging experiments were thought to provide the most reliable information about interactions. Guidelines for the collection of data, biological and ecosystem research, modelling and alternative methodologies for studying tuna fisheries interactions are also included.