The total world catch of the major commercial tuna species (albacore, bigeye, bluefin, skipjack and yellowfin) has increased during the last 50 years (from 0.4 to 3.9 million tonnes), but the pattern of increase has varied among species, oceans and fishing gears. The Pacific Ocean has been the predominant region in the world catch, with catches from the Indian Ocean having exceeded those from the Atlantic Ocean in recent years. This publication examines historical trends in the catches of these tuna species and considers the causes of the variations.

This publication contains papers relating to the FAO project on tuna fisheries management. Topics discussed include: the development of tuna fisheries and resources, trends in tuna catches and market influences, the status of tuna stocks, fishing capacity of industrial tuna purse-seine and longline fleets, a global study of non-industrial tuna fisheries, problems of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and overcapacity of tuna fishing vessels.

In a lively account of the American tuna industry over the past century, celebrated food writer and scholar Andrew F. Smith relates how tuna went from being sold primarily as a fertilizer to becoming the most commonly consumed fish in the country. In American Tuna, the so-called "chicken of the sea" is both the subject and the backdrop for other facets of American history: U.S. foreign policy, immigration and environmental politics, and dietary trends. Smith recounts how tuna became a popular low-cost high-protein food beginning in 1903, when the first can rolled off the assembly line. By 1918, skyrocketing sales made it one of America’s most popular seafoods. In the decades that followed, the American tuna industry employed thousands, yet at at mid-century production started to fade. Concerns about toxic levels of methylmercury, by-catch issues, and over-harvesting all contributed to the demise of the industry today, when only three major canned tuna brands exist in the United States, all foreign owned. A remarkable cast of characters— fishermen, advertisers, immigrants, epicures, and environmentalists, among many others—populate this fascinating chronicle of American tastes and the forces that influence them.

Of the principal market species, the status of three of the 23 stocks is unknown; namely, albacore in the Mediterranean Sea and skipjack in the Atlantic (two stocks).

Advances in Tuna Aquaculture: From Hatchery to Market provides detailed overviews on the current status of tuna fisheries, fattening, and farming practices, as well as advances in closed-cycle tuna aquaculture. Contributors are renowned scientists, internationally recognized as authorities in their fields. This book addresses all basic and applied aspects of tuna aquaculture, presenting and discussing the global status of tuna fisheries, reproduction, broodstock management, spawning, larval rearing and early developmental stages including nursery and grow out methods. It presents incorporates the most comprehensive and updated data, statistics, and trends in tuna fisheries and aquaculture, covering and addresses a variety of topics ranging fromfrom endocrinology, nutrition, diseases, and genetics to economics and markets. It covers describes recent up-to-date progress on tuna aquaculture and hatchery development. It also provides a synopsisn overview of the challenges presently confronted by tuna aquaculturists,facing tuna aquaculture and and offers innovative views on the challengesbottle-neck issues faced by the industry with the current shift from fisheries to fattening to closed-cycle aquaculture. This is the first book to encompass all aspects related to the tuna aquaculture industry, and merges them into a state-of-the-art compendium that will serve as seminal reference for students, researchers, and professionals working with tuna biology, fisheries, and aquaculture worldwide. - Incorporates and reviews the most recent information on tuna fisheries and aquaculture - Presents the most innovative production technologies in tuna aquaculture, from hatchery to market - Includes important information on tuna, derived from industry experience and academic research on larval rearing technology and grow out operations - Encompasses and discusses key topics such as genetics, diseases, nutrition, endocrinology, and reproduction, as well as developments, challenges, and future opportunities in tuna aquaculture - Provides the latest scientific methods and technologies to maximize efficiencies and production - Presents the independent and collective assessments, viewpoints, and visions of various scientists, all internationally recognized as authorities in the field

Flag of convenience fishing seriously undermines efforts to protect the marine environment. To counter this threat, Market Denial and International Fisheries Regulation rests on the logic of the most basic tenet of economics: if no market exists for a product then producers will cease to produce. Denying market access to the flag of convenience fishing fleet should significantly reduce instances of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In areas beyond national jurisdiction not only is market denial the most effective means of undermining the IUU fleet, it is, for most practical purposes, the only way to do so. To what extent, however, do the laws of the sea and international trade allow groups of States to close their markets to non-compliant fishing vessels?