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| Indian Ocean tuna fisheries | |
|---|---|
| Name | Indian Ocean tuna fisheries |
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Species | Skipjack tuna, Yellowfin tuna, Bigeye tuna, Albacore tuna |
| Gear | Purse seine, Longline fishing, Pole and line (fishing), Gillnet |
| Management | Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, Food and Agriculture Organization, Regional fisheries management organization |
| Catches | significant |
Indian Ocean tuna fisheries Indian Ocean tuna fisheries provide major pelagic marine resources harvested across the Western Indian Ocean, Eastern Indian Ocean, Central Indian Ocean and adjacent seas, supplying industrial, artisanal and commercial fishing sectors. Fisheries intersect with regional institutions such as the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, global bodies including the Food and Agriculture Organization, and national agencies of states like India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia.
Tuna populations occur in oceanic provinces including the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Mozambique Channel and waters around the Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and Chagos Archipelago, with high productivity linked to features like the Monsoon (season), Upwelling, Agulhas Current and Equatorial Current. Major fishing grounds concentrate around Fishing grounds near continental shelf edges, seamounts such as the Mascarene Plateau, and offshore Exclusive economic zones of countries like Malaysia and Thailand. International disputes over access have involved states and entities such as European Union fleets, Japan, Taiwan and China.
Principal species include Skipjack tuna, Yellowfin tuna, Bigeye tuna and Albacore tuna, each with distinct life-history traits: Skipjack tuna exhibit rapid growth and high fecundity; Yellowfin tuna show seasonal movements tied to thermal fronts; Bigeye tuna perform diel vertical migrations into mesopelagic strata; Albacore tuna undertake basin-scale migrations connected to South Equatorial Current and Indian Ocean Dipole. Biological studies often reference institutions such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas for comparative methods, and research programs by NIOT and regional universities for tagging, otolith ageing and stock structure using markers like mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites.
Gear types feature industrial Purse seine fleets deploying around Fish aggregating devices (FADs), distant-water Longline fishing vessels targeting Bigeye tuna and Albacore tuna, and coastal Pole and line (fishing) and Gillnet units supplying local markets. Use of Fish aggregating devices by fleets from Spain, France (Réunion), Taiwan, Japan and South Korea has altered catch composition and effort distribution. Artisanal fisheries employ handline techniques and motorized skipjack boats, often landing in ports like Mombasa, Maputo, Colombo and Karachi for processing by tuna processors and canneries such as those historically linked to firms in Mauritius and Seychelles.
The fleet comprises national fleets of India and Indonesia, distant-water fleets from Japan, South Korea, Spain and Taiwan, and regional artisanal vessels operating from Somalia to Maldives. Catch trends recorded by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission show rising purse-seine landings for Skipjack tuna and variable Yellowfin tuna and Bigeye tuna yields, influenced by market demand from companies in Japan and European Union retailers, and by events like the Indian Ocean Dipole and El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Processing centers in Chennai, Jakarta, Durban and Port Louis drive export flows to markets in United States, European Union and Japan.
Management is coordinated primarily through the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), supported by international law frameworks including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and instruments promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Regional governance engages coastal states, distant-water fishing nations and organizations such as the Commonwealth and the Indian Ocean Rim Association to negotiate measures on catch limits, data collection, observer programmes and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). Technical measures, often debated at IOTC sessions, include limits on Fish aggregating device deployment, size limits for Yellowfin tuna and Bigeye tuna, and time-area closures informed by scientific advice from panels and bodies like the Scientific Committee.
Tuna fisheries underpin livelihoods in island and coastal states including Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius and Comoros, support processing industries in Thailand and Vietnam, and supply cans and sashimi markets in Japan, United States and European Union importers. Revenues derive from exports, licensing fees from fleets such as those of European Union and Japan, and domestic consumption, while employment spans artisanal harvesters, canneries, cold-chain logistics and port services in cities like Mombasa and Durban. Development programs by agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and World Bank have funded value-chain improvements and surveillance systems.
Conservation concerns include overcapacity, stock status uncertainties for Yellowfin tuna and Bigeye tuna, impacts of Fish aggregating devices on juvenile retention, and bycatch of vulnerable species including Sea turtles, Sharks, Seabirds and Marine mammals such as those recorded in incidents near Réunion and Mauritius. Mitigation tools promoted by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission and NGOs like Pew Charitable Trusts include deployment of circle hooks, time-area closures to reduce Seabird bycatch, FAD management plans, e-monitoring and observer coverage, and spatial measures around marine protected areas such as those near Chagos Archipelago. Scientific collaborations among institutions—universities, IOTC, Food and Agriculture Organization and national research institutes—advance stock assessments, tagging programs and ecosystem-based management approaches.
Category:Fisheries of the Indian Ocean