Tuna: Albacore

Tombo, Canned white tuna

A medium-sized tuna, the albacore inhabits temperate oceans worldwide, being absent only from the warmest equatorial waters of the Pacific ocean. Distinguished by its long, graceful pectoral fins, the albacore is one of the most migratory tunas. Stocks disperse widely and concentrate in different places from year to year. Relatively quick to mature, albacore breed year-round and spawn across vast areas of the tropical oceans. The largest albacore on record weighed 38.5 kg, although the average weight of individuals caught today is approximately 9-20 kg. Albacore are believed to become
sexually mature at 5-6 years and to have a maximum lifespan of 8 years. Juvenile albacore are found mainly in surface waters. As they become sexually mature, albacore move to deeper habitat.

Albacore are found throughout all of the world’s temperate oceans, being absent only from the warmest equatorial waters of the Pacific. They are relatively quick to mature, reaching sexual maturity by the age of 5 or 6 years. Their lives are relatively short: the maximum lifespan is probably only about 8 years. The albacore is one of the most migratory tunas. Stocks disperse widely and concentrate in different places from year to year. Albacore reproduce prolifically by broadcast spawning. They do not have established spawning seasons or breeding grounds, but instead spawn year-round across vast areas of the tropical oceans. These life history characteristics make them inherently resistant to fishing pressure.

ATLANTIC: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) considers the North Atlantic albacore population to be overfished with overfishing still occurring. Latest stock assessments found the spawning biomass of the North Atlantic stock to be about 30% below that required to produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY). The southern Atlantic stock has less cause for concern. They are not considered overfished, with no overfishing occurring.
PACIFIC: IATTC notes that fishing pressure on the northern stock has decreased since the mid-1970s. Favourable biomass levels and fishing mortality rates, plus the present observations that both population and catches are increasing indicate a healthy north Pacific stock. According to NMFS, recent assessments indicate the south Pacific stock is healthy.
INDIAN: Little information is available about the status of albacore stocks in the Indian Ocean
Overall, the stock status of albacore tuna is a moderate conservation concern.

Pole-and-line or trolling methods lead to little bycatch and therefore is of low conservation concern.

Trolling for albacore tuna has no impact on habitat and therefore is of low conservation concern.

ATLANTIC and PACIFIC: The International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) currently manages Atlantic albacore tuna. The Inter-American Tropical Tunas Commission (IATTC), established by international convention in 1950, is responsible for the conservation and management of fisheries for albacore tuna and other pelagic species in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Observers aim to cover 5% of longline sets. Actual coverage has varied between 2% and 5% per year in the Atlantic. Observers in the Pacific cover approximately 20% of the total fishing efforts, or days fished at sea. Enforcing international tuna fishing law is challenging given that boats operate on the high seas far from observation.
Indian Ocean: The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has not yet produced a definitive survey of the albacore fishery and so there is no international management plan in place for Indian Ocean albacore.
Albacore tuna management has moderate conservation concerns.

How was it caught?

Consumption advisory due to mercury.