Data from: Lack of genetic differentiation in yellowfin tuna has conservation implications in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, is an important global fishery and of
particular importance in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). According to the
2019 Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) assessment, yellowfin
tuna within the EPO is a single stock, and is being managed as one stock.
However, previous studies indicate site fidelity, or limited home ranges,
of yellowfin tuna which suggests the potential for multiple yellowfin tuna
stocks within the EPO, which was supported by a population genetic study
using microsatellites. If numerous stocks are present, management at the
wrong spatial scales could cause the loss of minor yellowfin tuna
populations in the EPO. In this study we used double digestion RADseq to
assess the genetic structure of yellowfin tuna in the EPO. A total of 164
yellowfin tuna from Cabo San Lucas, México, and the Galápagos Islands and
Santa Elena, Ecuador, were analysed using 18,011 single nucleotide
polymorphisms. Limited genetic differentiation (FST = 0.00058–0.00328)
observed among the sampling locations (México, Ecuador, Peru, and within
Ecuador) is consistent with presence of a single yellowfin tuna population
within the EPO. Our findings are consistent with the IATTC assessment and
provide further evidence of the need for transboundary cooperation for the
successful management of this important fishery throughout the EPO.