Mexico Baja California pole and line yellowfin and skipjack tuna
MSC status
Certified as sustainable in April 2012.
Summary
Species: Skipjack tuna (katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin tuna (thunnus albacares)
Location: FAO Statistical Area 77 in the Eastern Central Pacific.
Fishing methods: Pole & line
Vessels: 2
Number of fisheries: 2
More about skipjack/yellowfin tuna
Skipjack (SKJ)
SKJ is a marine fish found in most waters around the world with temperatures above 15 °c. Larvae are mostly restricted to areas with temperatures of at least 25°c. SKJ tends to be associated with regions of upwelling or areas where cold, nutrient-rich waters are brought from the bottom of the ocean to the surface, as well as regions where cold and warm water mix. These areas are highly productive. Several oceanographic and biological features are known to influence, directly or indirectly, the distribution of SKJ within their overall limits. These include temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, thermocline structure, bottom topography, water transparency, current systems, water masses and biological productivity. In the tropics, temperature seems to play a minor role in governing distribution since thermal gradients in these areas are generally weak. However, in sub-tropical areas, SKJ fisheries exhibit seasonality that correlate well with surface temperature. The maximum age of SKJ is not known, but it is believed to be between 8 and 12 years. SKJ mainly feed on fish, crustacean and molluscs. The wide variety in its diet suggests that SKJ is a highly opportunistic feeder. Feeding activity peaks in the early morning and again in the late afternoon.
Yellowfin (YFT)
YFT are distributed worldwide, occurring in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and all warm seas of the world except the Mediterranean Sea. YFT is found above and below the thermoclines. They school primarily by size, either in monospecific or multi-species groups. Larger fish frequently school with porpoises and are also associatedwith floating debris and other objects. As YFT is sensitive to low concentrations of oxygen it is nousually caught below 250 m in the tropics. YFT eat any forage organism from three major marine groups (fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans). YFT feed during daylight hours principally in the surface layers of the sea.
More about the fishing methods
In the Pole & Line fishery, bait is kept in a water tank on–board from where it is scooped into the sea to attract fish and create a feeding frenzy. Fishermen use a fibre glass pole with a line to which a barbless lure is attached. When the individual fish bites the lure the fishermen swing the catch on board the vessel. According to the size of the fish, fishermen may work alone, as a double team (i.e. two poles connected to a single line) or a triple team (i.e. three poles connected to a single line). Fish are stored in refrigerated seawater until landed.
Fishery tonnage
Landings by the two client vessels in 2007 totalled 495 mt (skipjack – 121 mt; yellowfin – 374 mt) and in
2008, 555 mt (skipjack - 187 mt; yellowfin – 354 mt).
Commercial market
The fishery currently supplies raw material to the canning operations located in Matancitas. Currently, factory output is marketed in Mexico; with certification the ambition would be to target the EU, U.S. and Canadian markets for canned certified tuna.
Actual eligibility date
1 May 2012
