Interactions between Artisanal and Industrial Tuna Fisheries: Insights from a Decade of Tagging Experiments

Abstract

The suite of species taken by artisanal fisheries targeting tuna often includes species caught in the larger industrial tuna fisheries, leading to concerns that industrial fisheries may reduce local fish availability and consequently impact upon artisanal catch rates. This study provides supporting evidence that industrial purse seine fisheries may impact upon artisanal and subsistence fishers. A tagged population of skipjack and yellowfin tuna known size was monitored through time and the probability of recapture was used as a measure of interaction with the industrial purse seine fishing effort was higher.