DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11410529
title: Global annual catches from tuna fisheries (1918 - 2021) (FIRMS level 0)

description: We constructed the most comprehensive dataset of nominal catches from global tuna fisheries by compiling and harmonizing public domain data from the five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (t-RFMOs) for the period 1918-2021. Under the auspices of the Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), we developed a systematic data flow process in collaboration with the t-RFMO Secretariats. This process involved the implementation of a data exchange format adhering to the standards of the FAO Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP), facilitating the seamless integration of data into the dataset.Nominal catch data are expressed in live-weight equivalent (metric tonnes) and primarily represent the quantities of retained fish either landed or transhipped at sea and in ports. In recent years, data from fisheries in the Atlantic and Western-Central Pacific Oceans have partially included amounts of fish discarded dead. The data are stratified by year, fishing fleet, fishing gear, large spatial area, and taxon.The dataset encompasses 50 medium- and large-sized pelagic species found in both neritic and oceanic habitats of the world's oceans. This includes 15 species of tunas, 10 species of billfish, 8 species of Spanish mackerels, 2 species of bonitos, and wahoo. In 2021, the global catch for these species was estimated to exceed 5.9 million metric tonnes. Despite uncertainties and incomplete data due to under-reporting, the dataset also includes reported catches for 14 species of pelagic sharks and rays that may be either targeted or incidentally caught in tuna and tuna-like fisheries. The total reported catch of these elasmobranch species was approximately 275,000 metric tonnes in 2021.The dataset serves as a benchmark for the monitoring and assessment of both artisanal and industrial fisheries from over 161 fishing fleets across 159 countries that have exploited tuna and tuna-like species for subsistence and commercial purposes over more than seven decades.
description: Tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (t-RFMOs) are regional fishery bodies responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and tuna-like species, associated species, and their ecosystems across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. T-RFMOS routinely collate and consolidate fisheries data from their Contracting Parties to inform the scientific advice guiding the management process.The dataset was compiled using publicly available annual nominal catch data curated and disseminated by the five t-RFMOs: the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the Inter-American TropicalTuna Commission (IATTC), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).The description of each original input dataset can be found at the following links:• CCSBT: https://www.ccsbt.org/en/content/sbt-data• IATTC: https://www.iattc.org/en-US/Data/Public-domain• ICCAT: https://www.iccat.int/en/accesingdb.html• IOTC: https://iotc.org/data/datasets/latest/NC• WCPFC: https://www.wcpfc.int/public-domain"FIRMS level 0" refers to the initial stage where the primary datasets undergo processing to form the dataset. The creation of the global FIRMS level 0 dataset involves several sequential steps:



Submission: Public domain datasets from CCSBT, IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC and WCPFC were submitted by the five tRFMOs through the FIRMS Global Tuna Atlas data collection framework at https://i-marine.d4science.org/group/fao_tunaatlas/dcrf-data-call-management. Data were submitted according to the CWP Reference Harmonization standard (https://www.fao.org/3/cc6734en/cc6734en.pdf) using a GTA nominal catch common data format (https://github.com/fdiwg/fdi-formats/blob/main/cwp_rh_generic_gta_taskI.json)

Binding: This step involves combining the individual nominal catch datasets provided by the five t-RFMOs into a single dataset.

Filtering: Data for southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) from t-RFMOs other than the CCSBT were excluded. CCSBT is considered the authoritative source of information for this species.

Services: The dataset was loaded in the Tuna atlas database, the FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Spatial Data Infrastructure (GeoServer at https://www.fao.org/fishery/geoserver and GeoNetwork https://www.fao.org/fishery/geonetwork ) and underlying Global Tuna Atlas map viewer https://www.fao.org/fishery/geoserver/tunaatlas/

Publication: The dataset was published on the Zenodo platform with the following DOI: https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.5745958