SEVENTEENTH MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE
ON TUNA AND BILLFISH

Majuro, Republic of Marshall Islands,
9-18 August 2004

[Go to US mirror web site]

[Full final report]

[Executive Summary]

[Latest papers] [Powerpoint Presentations]
[Meeting Information] [Provisional Agenda] [Participants]  [List of working papers] 
 

[Statistics Working Group]  [Method Working Group] [Fishing Technology Working Group]
[HMS Biology Working Group] [HMS Stock Assessment Working Group]
[Ecosystems Working Group] [National Tuna Fishery Reports]

OR

Full Final Report - Click here to view (3,000kb)

Executive Summary - Click here to view (1,572kb)

Latest papers to download (not provided on the SCTB17 CD-ROM)

NFR–14 MARSHALL ISLANDS - View document (557kb)

NFR–5 COOK ISLANDS - View document (139kb - scanned)

NFR–6 FSM - View document (448kb - scanned)

NFR–12 KIRIBATI - View document (689kb - scanned)

NFR–15 NAURU - View document (452kb - scanned)

NFR–21 PAPUA NEW GUINEA - View document (757kb - scanned)

NFR–24 SOLOMON ISLANDS - View document (418kb - scanned)

NFR–27 TONGA - View document (180kb - scanned)

NFR–28 TUVALU - View document (167kb - scanned)

NFR–30 VANUATU - View document (196kb - scanned)

INF–FTWG–2 Swenarton, T. & S. Beverly. Documentation and classification of fishing gear and technology on board pelagic longline vessels – Hawaii module. NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Regional Office, Honolulu, Hawaii. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (1,165kb)

INF–BIO–3 Chi-Lu Sun, Su-Zan Yeh, and Pei-Yu Liu. Sex ratio of the bigeye tuna caught by the Taiwanese offshore longline fishery for 1998 and 2002-2004 in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. (282kb - scanned)

NFR–2 AUSTRALIA - Ward, P., Bromhead, D. TUNA AND BILLFISH FISHERIES OF THE EASTERN AUSTRALIAN FISHING ZONE AND ADJACENT HIGH SEAS. Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Bureau of Rural Sciences, Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (680kb)

INF–FTWG–3 Fukofuka, S., D. Brogan & D. Itano. The development, design and current status of anchored and drifting FADs in the WCPO. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. Pelagic Fisheries Research Program. JIMAR. University of Hawaii. USA. (2,186 kb)

NFR–25 TAIWAN - Update on Tuna Fisheries of Taiwan in the Western and Central
Pacific Region. Overseas Fisheries Development Council of the Republic of China and
Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture, R.O.C.(851kb)

FTWG–5 Squires, D. & C. Reid. An economist approach to measuring changes in the productivity of purse seine vessels in the WCPO tuna fishery: Measuring changes in catch per fishing day taking into account environmental conditions and multi-species catches. National Marine Fisheries
Service, USA. Forum Fisheries Agency, Honiara, Solomon Islands. (206kb)

INF–BIO–2 Leroy, B. & P. Lehodey. Note on the growth of the South Pacific albacore. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (198kb)

INF–SWG–3 Lawson, T. Proposal for Monitoring the Catches of Highly Migratory Species in the Philippines and the Pacific Ocean Waters of Indonesia, prepared for the Preparatory Conference for the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (440kb)

NFR–8 FRENCH POLYNESIA Ponsonnet, C. Tuna Fisheries in French Polynesia. Service de la Pęche, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (539kb)

NFR–16 NEW CALEDONIA Etaix-Bonnin, R. New Caledonia Tuna and Billfish Fisheries. Service de la Marine Marchande et des Pęches Maritimes Noumea, New Caledonia. (139kb)

Meeting Information

• 1st announcement - 29/04

• 2nd announcement - 26/05

• Guideline for the preparation of National Tuna Fishery reports - 26/05

Provisional Agenda - Click here to see - 09/06

• Statistics Working Group draft agenda 26/07

• Method Working Group draft agenda 29/07

• Fishing Technology Working Group draft agenda 06/08

• HMS Stock Assessement Working Group draft agenda 26/07

• Ecosystems Working Group draft agenda 26/07

Provisional List of Participants - Click here to see - 02/08

List of Working Papers - Click here to see - 26/08

Download all Working Papers, Agendas, List of Documents Download (45Mb) Download all Information Papers Download (15Mb)

AVAILABLE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS

GEN–1 Williams, P. & C. Reid. Overview of the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) tuna fisheries, including economic conditions – 2003. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia and Forum Fisheries Agency. Honiara, Solomon Islands. (1,600kb)

WORKING PAPERS     (Go to INFORMATION PAPERS)

General

GEN–1 Williams, P. & C. Reid. Overview of the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) tuna fisheries, including economic conditions – 2003. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia and Forum Fisheries Agency. Honiara, Solomon Islands. (1,368kb)

GEN–2 Molony, B.W. Review of fleet capacity, catch and effort of the purse-seine fleets in the Western Central Pacific Ocean, with emphasis on the use of FADs. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (2,203kb)

GEN–3 Molony, B.W. Review of fleet capacity, catch and effort of the long-line fleets in the Western Central Pacific Ocean. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (732kb)

SWG–1 Lawson, T. Status of data collection, compilation and dissemination. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (227kb)

SWG–2 Lawson, T. Estimates of annual catches of albacore, bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (124kb)

SWG–3 Williams, P. Estimates of annual catches for billfish species taken in commercial fisheries of the western and central Pacific Ocean. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific
Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (235kb)

SWG–4 Lawson, T. Observer coverage rates and reliability of CPUE estimates for offshore longliners in tropical waters of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (123kb)

SWG–5 Lawson, T. Availability of observer data for estimating catches of non-target species by longliners in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, with catch estimates for offshore fleets in tropical waters. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (110kb)

SWG–6 Lawson, T. Information regarding anticipated data-related tasks for the WCPFC Scientific Committee. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (285kb)

SWG–7 Williams, P. Preliminary review of data collection forms used in Philippines tuna fisheries. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (402kb)

SWG–8 Manarangi-Trott, L. Legal aspects governing fisheries data. Ministry of Marine Resources, Rarotonga, Cook Islands and the University of Wollongong, N.S.W., Australia. (181kb)

MWG–1 Campbell, R. Performance indices, reference points and use of CUSUM plots for monitoring the performance of the longline fishery off eastern Australia. CSIRO. Division of Marine Research, Hobart, Australia. (481kb)

MWG–2 Wang, C-H. Improvement of the Schaefer model and its application. Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. (86kb)

MWG–3  Kolody, D.S., P.C. Jumppanen, D.G.Ricard, J.R. Hartog, A.L. Preece, T. Polacheck. Extracts from SESAME: a simulation-estimation stock assessment model evaluation project focused on large pelagic species. CSIRO. Division of Marine Research, Hobart, Australia. (422kb)

MWG–4 Sibert, J. Comparison of stock assessment methods using an operational. Pelagic Fisheries Research Program. JIMAR. University of Hawaii. USA. (4,576kb)

FTWG–1 Millar C. & E. Schneiter, Review of vessel and gear attribute data held by SPC and FFA. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (319kb)

FTWG–2 Itano, D.G. Vessel and gear attributes useful for the long-term monitoring and management of WCPO tropical tuna fisheries. Pelagic Fisheries Research Program. JIMAR. University of Hawaii. USA. (150kb)

FTWG–3 Williams, P.G. Average purse seine vessel production in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) by fleet for the period 1980 – 2003. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (222kb)

FTWG–4 Langley, A. An analysis of the main factors influencing the catch of bigeye tuna in purse seine drifting FAD sets. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (637kb)

FTWG–5 Squires, D. & C. Reid. Using Malmquist indices to measure changes in total factor productivity of purse-seine vessels while accounting for changes in capacity utilisation, the resource stock and the environment. National Marine Fisheries Service, USA. Forum Fisheries Agency, Honiara, Solomon Islands. (206kb)

FTWG–6 Rodwell, L. FFA initiatives related to the Palau Arrangement, purse seine management and the management of bigeye fishing mortality in the WCPO. Forum Fisheries Agency, Honiara,
Solomon Islands. (58kb)

FTWG–7 Misc. Technology related projects and proposals to mitigate bycatch levels in longline and purse seine fisheries.

a. Trial setting of deep longline techniques to reduce bycatch and increase targeting of deep-swimming tunas. (S. Beverly and D. Itano) (1430kb)

b. Assessment of methods to minimize seabird mortality in Hawaii pelagic longline fisheries – abstract. [in review] (Gilman E., Brothers N., Kobayashi D) (115kb)

c. Performance assessment of an underwater setting chute to mitigate seabird bycatch in the Hawaii pelagic longline tuna fishery – abstract. (Gilman, E., C. Boggs, and N. Brothers) (115kb)

d. State of knowledge for minimizing turtle bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries – abstract. [in review] (Gilman, E., J. Watson, C. Boggs) (115kb)

e. Effects of bait color on sea turtle-longline fishing gear interactions: Can blue bait reduce turtle bycatch in commercial fisheries? (Y. Swimmer, R. Arauz, J. Ballestero, L. McNaughton, B. Higgins, M. McCracken, R. Brill) (111kb)

f. Survivorship and dive behavior of olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles after their release from longline fishing gear off Costa Rica. (Y. Swimmer, R. Arauz, M. Musyl, L. M c Naughton, J. Ballestero, R. Brill) (115kb)

g. Reducing juvenile bigeye tuna mortality in FAD sets. (P. Nelson). Inter-American Tropical Tuna
Commission. (423kb)

BIO–1 Allain, V. Diet of yellowfin tuna in different areas of the western and central Pacific Ocean. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (683kb)

BIO–2 Itano, D.G., K. Holland, L. Dagorn, D. Grubbs, Y. Papastamatiou. Monitoring movement patterns, residence times and feeding ecology of tuna, billfish and oceanic sharks within a network of anchored FADs. Pelagic Fisheries Research Program. JIMAR. University of Hawaii. USA. (369kb)

BIO–3 Francis, M. P., Duffy, C. Length at maturity in three pelagic sharks (Lamna nasus, Isurus oxyrinchus and Prionace glauca) from New Zealand. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric
Research, New Zealand. Ministry of Fisheries, New Zealand. (877kb)

BIO–4 Bishop, S. D., Francis, M. P., Duffy, C. Age, growth, maturity, longevity and natural mortality of the shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in New Zealand waters. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand. Ministry of Fisheries, New Zealand. (1,451kb)

BIO–5 Manning, M. J. and Francis, M. P. Age and growth of blue sharks, Prionace glauca, from the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand. Ministry of Fisheries, New Zealand. (3,700kb)

BIO–6 Griggs, L. Monitoring the length structure of New Zealand commercial landings of albacore during the 2003/04 fishing year. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand. Ministry of Fisheries, New Zealand. (1,080kb)

BIO–7 Arai, T., A. Kotake, S. Kayama, M. Ogura & Y. Watanabe. Movements and stock discrimination of skipjack tuna, Katuwonus pelamis, in the Western Pacific by otolith Sr:Ca ratios. National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries. Shimizu, Japan. (449kb)

BIO–8 A. Fonteneau & Pilar Pallares. Tuna natural mortality as a function of their age: the bigeye tuna case. IRD. France. (490kb)

SA–1 Hampton, J., P. Kleiber, A. Langley & K. Hiramatsu. Stock assessment of yellowfin tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia.

SA–2 Hampton, J., P. Kleiber, A. Langley & K. Hiramatsu. Stock assessment of bigeye tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia.

SA–3 Wang, C-H. Assessing south Pacific albacore stocks by improved Schaefer model. Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. (103kb)

SA–4 Langley, A.D. An examination of the influence of recent oceanographic conditions on the catch rate of albacore in the main domestic longline fisheries. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (566kb)

SA–5 Langley, A.D. A standardised analysis of skipjack tuna CPUE from the WCPO drifting FAD fishery within skipjack assessment area 6 (MFCL 6). Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (1,237kb)

SA–6 Langley, A.D. A spatially-based analysis of Purse-seine skipjack CPUE from unassociated sets in the equatorial area of the WCPO, including the development of an oceanographic model for the fishery. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New
Caledonia. (447kb)

SA–7 Bigelow, K., A.D. Langley & T. Patterson. Relative abundance indices of the Japanese longline fishery for bigeye and yellowfin tuna in the western and central Pacific. National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu, Hawaii. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (4,441kb)

SA–8 S. Langitoto Helu. An evaluation of recent trends in the domestic longline fisheries operating in the south Pacific Ocean. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community,
Noumea, New Caledonia.

SA–9 IATTC. Tuna and billfish in the EPO in 2003 (no cover due to PDF protection) (see cover). Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. La Jolla, California, USA. (1,710kb)

ECO–1 Lehodey P. A Spatial Ecosystem And Populations Dynamics Model (SEAPODYM) for tuna and associated oceanic top-predator species: Part I - Lower and intermediate trophic components. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (622kb)

ECO–2 Lehodey P. A Spatial Ecosystem And Populations Dynamics Model (SEAPODYM) for tuna and associated oceanic top-predator species: Part II - Tuna dynamics and fisheries. Oceanic
Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (720kb)

ECO–3 Hampton, W. J. Tuna Meta-Population Abundance and Size Structure as Indicators of Ecosystem Impacts of Fishing. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (124kb)

ECO–4 Kirby, D.S., G.Allain, P.Lehodey, A.Langley. Individual/Agent-based Modelling of Fishes, Fishers, and Turtles. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (267kb)

ECO–5 Kirby, D.S., P.Lehodey, J. Hampton, A.Langley, V. Allain. Regime Shifts in the WCPO and its Tuna Fisheries. Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. (445kb)

ECO–6 Ayers, D., Francis, M. P., Griggs, L. H., Baird, S. J. Fish bycatch in New Zealand tuna longline fisheries. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand. Ministry of
Fisheries, New Zealand. (3,460kb)

ECO–7 Matsunaga, H., H. Nakano, M. Kiyota, H. Minami & T. Nobetsu. Progress on the researches for the solution of incidental catch of sharks, seabirds and sea turtles in Japanese tuna longline fishery. National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Japan. (176kb)

National Tuna Fishery Reports

NFR–1 AMERICAN SAMOA         (did not attend)

NFR–2 AUSTRALIA - Ward, P., Bromhead, D. TUNA AND BILLFISH FISHERIES OF THE EASTERN AUSTRALIAN FISHING ZONE AND ADJACENT HIGH SEAS. Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Bureau of Rural Sciences, Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (680kb)

NFR–3 CANADA Stocker, M. & W. Shaw. An update for Canadian tuna fisheries in the north and south Pacific Ocean for 2003. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. (132kb)

NFR–4 CHINA  - Song L., L. Xu, X. Dai. National Tuna Fishery Report of China in WCPO. Shanghai Fisheries University, Mainland China. (191kb)

NFR–5 COOK ISLANDS - View document (139kb - scanned)

NFR–6 FSM - View document (448kb - scanned)

NFR–7 FIJI Amoe, J. Fiji tuna and billfish fisheries. Fisheries Department, Ministry of Fisheries and Forests
Fiji. (414kb)

NFR–8 FRENCH POLYNESIA Ponsonnet, C. Tuna Fisheries in French Polynesia. Service de la Pęche, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (539kb)

NFR–9 GUAM         (did not attend)

NFR–10 INDONESIA         (did not attend)

NFR–11 JAPAN Miyabe, N., M. Ogura, T. Matsumoto and Y. Nishikawa. National Tuna Fisheries Report of Japan as of 2004. Fisheries Research Agency National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries (NRIFSF), Japan (1,388kb)

NFR–12 KIRIBATI - View document (689kb - scanned)

NFR–13 KOREA Moon, D-Y, Soon-Song Kim and J-R Koh. Korean Tuna Fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean. National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Busan, Korea. (228kb)

NFR–14 MARSHALL ISLANDS - View document (557kb)

NFR–15 NAURU - View document (452kb - scanned)

NFR–16 NEW CALEDONIA Etaix-Bonnin, R. New Caledonia Tuna and Billfish Fisheries. Service de la Marine Marchande et des Pęches Maritimes Noumea, New Caledonia. (139kb)

NFR–17 NEW ZEALAND Kendrick, T. and Murray, T. New Zealand Domestic Tuna Fisheries in 2002 and 2003. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand. Ministry of Fisheries, New Zealand. (391kb)

NFR–18 NIUE         (did not attend)

NFR–19 NORTHERN MARIANAS         (did not attend)

NFR–20 PALAU Sisior, K., Tuna fisheries in the waters of the Republic of Palau, Bureau of Oceanic Fisheries Management, Palau. (191kb)

NFR–21 PAPUA NEW GUINEA - View document (757kb - scanned)

NFR–22 PHILIPPINES         (did not attend)

NFR–23 SAMOA Imo R., Williams, P., Time S. and Su’a T. Samoa Tuna Fisheries Report. Samoa Fisheries Division. Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries and Meteorology. (297kb)

NFR–24 SOLOMON ISLANDS - View document (418kb - scanned)

NFR–25 TAIWAN - Update on Tuna Fisheries of Taiwan in the Western and Central
Pacific Region. Overseas Fisheries Development Council of the Republic of China and
Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture, R.O.C.(851kb)

NFR–26 TOKELAU         (did not attend)

NFR–27 TONGA - View document (180kb - scanned)

NFR–28 TUVALU - View document (167kb - scanned)

NFR–29 USA Russell Y. Ito and David C. Hamm, Atilio L. Coan, Jr. and John Childers. Summary of U.S. fisheries for Highly Migratory Species in the Western-Central Pacific Ocean, 1999-2003. National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, USA. (653kb)

NFR–30 VANUATU - View document (196kb - scanned)

NFR–31 VIETNAM         (did not attend)

NFR–32 WALLIS & FUTUNA         (did not attend)