Skipjack Tuna fisheries at a glance

Skipjack tuna are widely distributed throughout tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) is at the extreme southern end of their range. Skipjack distribution in the AFZ on the east coast is from far north Queensland to Tasmania; off southern Australia from Kangaroo Island in the Great Australian Bight, and up the west coast to Broome.

The Skipjack fishery is divided into two fisheries, the Eastern and Western. The Eastern fishery extends from Cape York Peninsula (excluding the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park) to the South Australian/Victorian border. The Western fishery extends westward from the South Australian/Victorian border across the Great Australian Bight, around the west coast of Western Australia to the Cape York Peninsula.

At a glance
Principal Species Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) is the only target species in the fishery. The landings of species other than skipjack (which may include bigeye and yellowfin tuna, frigate mackerel, sharks, mahi mahi, rays and marlins) are believed to be much less than 2% of the total landings.
Fishing Techniques Historically a majority of the catch (upwards of 80%) was taken by purse seine, the pole and line method accounted for around 15%, and longline and minor line methods for the remainder. In recent times there has been little effort in the Skipjack fishery with all the catch being taken by purse seine.
Number of Vessels There are 19 holders of Eastern Skipjack Tuna Fishery (ESTF) permits and 13 holders of Western Skipjack Tuna Fishery (WSTF) permits.
Main Markets Skipjack tuna taken in Australian waters was supplied almost exclusively to the cannery in Port Lincoln. This cannery closed in May 2010.
Stock Status Not overfished and not subject to overfishing, Western and Central Pacific Ocean Fisheries Commission (BRS, 2009). A stock assessment for skipjack tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) was carried out in 2008. The stock assessment indicated that for the broader WCPO skipjack is currently exploited at a moderate level relative to its biological potential.The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Working Party on Tropical Tuna analysed a range of stock status indicators in 2007. the results indicated that the stock is currently not overfished and not subject to overfishing, but that catches should not be increased  at the current rate. Information suggests that there is no need for immediate concern about the status of skipjack tuna.
Global Fisheries Catches of skipjack tuna have been increasing steadily since 1950. Skipjack has been the dominant species caught in the WCPO for the past decade, making up over two thirds of the total tuna catch. The 2007 skipjack catch was the highest on record at 1,726,702 tonnes, with second highest catch of 1,634,617 tonnes caught in 2008.In the Indian Ocean, skipjack catches have exceeded 400,000 tonnes each year since 1999 and it has become the most important tuna species in this region. Skipjack catches peaked in 2006 at 612,900 tonnes. The catch for 2008 was 447,100 tonnes, which is below the average for 2004-2008 of 499,900 tonnes.
Consultative Mechanism The Tropical Tuna Management Advisory Committee (Tropical Tuna MAC) is the principal forum in which issues relating to the management of the Skipjack fishery are discussed. The TTMAC has several sub-committees including a Resource Assessment Group and a Research, Review and Recommendations Committee.
Management issues over the next 12 months
  • Bycatch of Yellowfin and Bigeye Tuna
  • Impacts that the introduction of quota on Yellowfin and Bigeye Tuna in the ETBF will have on the bycatch of these species in the Skipjack fishery