Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

This paper describes recent trends in the Japanese tuna and billfish fisheries, e.g., longline, pole-and-line, purse seine and other miscellaneous coastal fisheries in the WCPFC Convention Area (WCP-CA), including fleet size, catch and fishing effort statistics. Total number of commercial longline vessels (larger than 10 GRT) was 433 in 2010 which was 11 vessels (2%) less than that in 2009. Total number of pole-and-line vessels (larger than 20 GRT) was 92 in 2010 which was 5 vessels (5%) less than that in 2009. For the purse seine vessels, the number of vessels over 200 GRT was 37 in 2010, which were the same number as that in 2009. Out of the 37 vessels over 200GRT, the number of vessels which are allowed to operate in tropical waters was 35 in 2010 and has been stabilized since 1995. The total 2010 WCP-CA catch of tunas (Pacific bluefin, albacore, bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack) by the Japanese fishery was still provisional and estimated to be 432,657 mt, and this is corresponding to 104 % of 2009 total tuna catch (414,299 mt). In 2010, the total tuna catch by the purse seine fishery was 250,427 mt (58 % of the total), with 110,720 mt (26%) by the pole-and-line fishery, 59,252 mt (14%) by the longline, and the remaining (3%) by the other gears. Japan has conducted several research activities in relation to biological and stock assessment studies on tuna, billfish and other bycatch species in the WCP-CA in 2010 such as tagging study for tropical tunas and sharks