INTER-AMERICAN TROPICAL TUNA COMMISSION - Comisión ...

114have been identified (by presence of larvae) off Japan/Chinese Taipei, Hawaii, and Mexico, and no significant genetic differenceshave been found among individuals ranging from Mexico to Ecuador. There was an indication that juvenile striped marlin fromstocks off Hawaii may be present seasonally in the northern EPO off California, but not off the coast of Mexico. The most recentassessments (2004) by the IATTC staff suggested that the then current size of the EPO (Mexico/Ecuador) stock was about 50 to 70%of the unexploited stock size. Catches from the EPO have been declining since about 1997, with a new low annual catch of about1,400 t in 2007 and an average annual catch of about 1,500 t since 2004, well below the estimated MSY of the stock. Fishing effortand catches have continued the decline noted in previous assessments, and it is considered that the striped marlin stock in the EPO isin good condition, with current and near-term anticipated fishing effort less than F MSY .An analysis by the ISC in 2007 of the status of an hypothesized single stock of striped marlin spanning the north Pacific from Japanto 140ºW, utilizing catch-rate series, indicated a decline to 10-45% of the initial biomass.2.3.4. Black marlin, sailfish, and shortbill spearfishNo recent stock assessments have been made for these species, although there are some data published jointly by scientists of theNational Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries (NRIFSF) of Japan and the IATTC in the IATTC Bulletin series that show trendsin catches, effort, and CPUEs.2.4. SummaryPreliminary estimates of the catches (including purse-seine discards), in metric tons, of tunas during 2008 and billfishes during 2007in the EPO are as follows.PSOBJ NOA DELLP LL OTR TotalYellowfin tuna 38,587 32,043 116,181 812 2 172 187,797Skipjack tuna 161,721 134,171 8,854 499 0 278 305,524Bigeye tuna 76,226 1,794 5 0 19,305 0 97,330Pacific bluefin 0 4,406 0 15 0 0 4,421Albacore tuna 0 10 0 0 73 0 1,266Swordfish