1. The Fishing Year 2006

2. EPO PS, LP, RG catches by species
564,000 mt t
Shown here are the EPO YFT, SKJ, BET & PBF catches in 2006 by purse seine, pole & line & recreational fishing gears. As you can see, {SHOW} YFT were low in 2006, while SKJ catches were at a record high {SHOW} catches were 7% less than in 2005, and 1% greater than the average of catches.

3. EPO PS, LP, RG, and LL catches by species
602,000 mt t
This slide is the same as the previous one, only with longline catches added catches of the above listed gears were about 6% less than in Normally about 80% of the longline catch is BET. In 2006 about 13% of PS, LP, RG catches were BET.

4. EPO PS/LP/RG fleet tuna catches by country
34% 2%
25%
12% 9%
14%
36% t
18%
18%
14% 8%
These are the EPO purse seine, pole & line & recreational gear catches of tunas by country. ECU, MEX & PAN flag vessels caught 68% of total EPO tuna in MEX vessels caught 41% of YFT. ECU vessels caught 46% of the SKJ, and 48% of the BET. 3% 2%
Flag
Total catch 611,511 mt
Total catch 563,824 mt

5. Purse-seine catch distributions - YFT
Average
2006
{SHOWN HERE} are the purse seine YFT catch distributions for 2006 as compared to the 10 year average of catches for In 2006 YFT catches were the lowest recorded since As you can see, YFT catches were low throughout the EPO, in both inshore and offshore areas as compared to the 10 year avg. of catches. Actually 44% lower than the 299,000 m/t average for 10 years. The YFT catch was 60% less than the record YFT catch year of 2002.
299,000 mt
(239,000 to 412,000)
168,000 mt
44% lower

6. Purse-seine catch distributions - SKJ
Average
2006
Catch distributions of SKJ are {SHOWN HERE}. There were extremely high SKJ catches on unassociated schools in the inshore areas of South America from about 0° to 20° S. Catches were also high on floating obj sets from about 90° W to 150° W. The 2006 record SKJ catch of 309,000 m/t was 63% higher than the 10 year average of catches, and 12% greater than the previous record high catches in 2003.
190,000 mt
(104,000 to 274,000)
309,000 mt
63% higher

7. Purse-seine catch distributions - BET
Average
2006
SHOWN HERE are the BET catch distributions. Prior to 1994 BET catches averaged about 6,000 m/t. The significant increase in BET catches since then is due to the increased use of FAD’s. Most of the PS catches of BET occur between 5° N and 10° S on floating obj. sets BET catches are similar to the average distributions, with the exception of higher catches on floating objects around 0° and west of 130° W. BET catches in 2006 were 15% higher than the 10 year average of catches, and 24% less than the record catches recorded in 2000.
62,000 mt
(44,000 to 94,000)
71,000 mt
15% higher

8. IATTC field offices Mayagüez La Jolla Cumaná Mazatlán Manzanillo Manta
These are the locations of the IATTC field offices. These offices are responsible for taking length frequency and species composition samples which we will be reviewing next.
Manta
Panamá
Playas

9. Sampling areas
The IATTC has 13 Lf/Species Comp Sampling areas SHOWN in the upper left; Wells are selected for sampling only if the fish in the well were from the same Month, Sample Area and from the same set type. There are 10 Surface Fishery Areas Defined for Stock Ass. 2 Areas,-N & S for Unass Sets. 4 areas,- N, S, Eq, & Ins for FO”s. 3 areas,-N, S, & Ins for Dolphin Sets//1 area, entire EPO for Pole-Line samples.

10. Size compositions - YFT
2006 by Area
The IATTC has assigned 10 YFT Areas {SHOWN HERE} for stock ass.; Of 1,053 Wells sampled in 2006, 739 contained YFT; The largest catches of YFT occurred on Dolphin. & Unassociated sets. {40-50 cm. YFT} {SHOW} were taken primarily in the Southern Unassociated Area in the 1st Qtr; in the Northern Floating Object Area in the 2nd Qtr & in the Equatorial & Inshore Floating Object fishery in the 4th Qtr. Larger {YFT >100 cm} {SHOW} were taken from the Southern Dolphin & Unassociated Areas in the 1st Qtr,and from the Northern & Inshore Dolphin areas during the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Qtrs. The average size of YFT in 2006 of 7.8 Kg [SHOW} was significantly lower than in the previous 5 year periods shown above.

11. Size compositions - SKJ
2006 by Area
There are 8 SKJ Areas defined for stock assessments. Of the wells sampled 877 contained SKJ. Large amts of SKJ in cm size range were taken the from Floating Obj. fisheries throughout the year, {SHOW} & in the Southern Unassociated area primarily in 1st & 2nd Qtrs. Larger SKJ in cm sizes were caught primarily in the 3rd & 4th Qtrs in the Floating Obj areas {SHOWN HERE}. The average size of SKJ in 2006 of 2.4 Kg was lower than the previous 5 years.

12. Size compositions - BET
2006 by Area
There are 7 Areas used in stock assessments for BET. 338 wells contained BET. Nearly equal amounts of BET were taken from the Northern, Equatorial & Southern Floating OBJ. fishery throughout the year {SHOW}. Smaller BET (40-60 cm) were caught on OBJ sets in every Qtr. The larger BET (>80 cm) were taken from the Equatorial and Southern Floating Object areas primarily in the 1st, 2nd, & 4th Qtrs {SHOW}. The average size of BET was less than those observed in the previous 5 years, and was significantly less than the sizes in 2000 of 20.1 kilos. During 2006 PBF were caught from March thru August from about 26° N to 31° N. PBF catches in 2006 of 10,000 m/t were 6,000 m/t greater than the average of catches for About 80% of the PBF catch is going to fish grow-out pens in Mexico.

13. The end