Statistics of the French purse seine fleet targeting tropical tunas in the Indian Ocean (1991-2009)

The document describes the fishing activities of the French purse seiners targeting tropical tunas, i.e. Thunnus albacares, Katsuwonus pelamis, and Thunnus obesus in the Indian Ocean during 1991-2009. The catch time series of the fleet over the period 2001-2009 has been updated following a change in the spatial stratification used in the multispecies sampling and a few modifications in data processing. Information is provided on fishing effort (fishing days, searching days, and fishing sets), catch, catch rates, and mean weights for the major tropical tuna species. Two major fishing modes are considered for the fishery: log-associated and free swimming schools