Director's Report to the 55th Tuna Conference on Tuna and Tuna-Related Activities at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center for the Period May 1, 2003-April 30, 2004

U.S. fisheries for pelagic fishes in Pacific Ocean continue to be important components of local and regional economies. Most of the fish stocks targeted by these fisheries appear to be healthy, unlike many exploited fish populations around the world. Recent assessments indicate that the stocks of bigeye, yellowfin, skipjack, and albacore tunas targeted by U.S. fisheries in the Pacific are not overfished. The aggregate catch from some tuna stocks, however, may be approaching the maximum sustainable yield. Likewise, recent assessments for North Pacific swordfish and Pacific blue marlin, while preliminary, indicate that these stocks are not overexploited. The high level of cooperation among scientists of Pacific island nations and distant-water fishing interests enhances the prospects for maintaining healthy fisheries for tunas and billfishes in the region, along with regular data sharing and stock assessments and rapid progress toward implementation of a multinational conservation and management arrangement for highly migratory fish stocks in the western and central Pacific. 2004 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) SWFSC (Southwest Fisheries Science Center) Library Public Domain 1863