Bigeye Continued on back - -

Bigeye fillet. Photo courtesy of The Honolulu Fish Company. Honolulu Fish Auction In Hawai‘i,In bigeye is sold locally for sashimi and poke (raw fish dish). Foreign caught bigeye is imported into Hawai‘i and the continental and US competes directly with Hawai‘i caught bigeye. Commands a high market value due to its demand as a premium sashimi product. Bigeye is why Honolulu consistently ranks among the ports US top 10 in landed approxi value, e.g., mately million in ex-vessel $100 landed value in 2013. Bigeye, which ranges from to 20 200 lbs, is principally sold for sashimi markets globally. Larger fish are preferred for the sahimi market due to their deep high fat red color, content and greater yields. The Hawai‘i longline catches around 5,000 of mt bigeye per which is year, approxi mately 3 percent of Pacific-wide bigeye catches. Bigeye is also caught with handline and troll gear. All bigeye landed in Hawai‘i are landed fresh, not frozen. Most bigeye landed in Hawai‘i is sold through the United Fishing Agency, whose fish auction has been operating and is since one of the 1952 nation’s only fish auctions.

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To targetTo bigeye, the Hawai‘i longline fishery operates in the exclusive US economic zone (EEZ) around Hawai‘i and on the adjacent high seas. Holds significant cultural and economicvalue in Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i longline fishery is the largest produc One of two species known in Hawai‘i as The ‘ahi. other species is .Bigeye is generally preferred over yellowfin for sashimi and has a longer shelf life. nately north of 15°N andnately in a region north with of 15°N negli gible impact on bigeye stock status. er of bigeye in Hawai‘i and in the United States. The Hawai‘i longline fishery operates predomi More is harvested in the WCPO than in the EPO. is occurringWCPO in due to heavy fishing pressure in equatorial region between which accounts and 10°S, for 90 percent10°N of the fishingmortality. Considered a single stock in the Pacific . Assessed separately in the EPO by the Inter- American Commission Tropical Tuna (IATTC) and in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) by the Western and Central Pacific Commission (WCPFC). Highest biomass occurs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). Tagging studies show regional fidelity and with most individual recaptures within 500 nautical release. of miles Found in tropical and subtropical waters of all .

• • • • Importance to the Western Pacific Region • • • • Stock Status • • • Distribution • ‘Ahi, ‘Ahi Po‘onui, Asiasi, Toghu Po‘onui, ‘Ahi ‘Ahi, Bigeye Tuna Bigeye FACTSHEET ©2014 by the Western©2014 Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Bigeye Tuna Limited entry permit program capped at permits;164 Vessel length must be less feet than 101 meters);(31 Logbooks for all days at sea; Automated satellite-based vessel monitoring systems; High levels independent of observer coverage for tuna (20% trips, 100% for trips) Gear requirements to protect and mitigate interactions with sea turtles, seabirds, and mammals marine Areaclosures around Main Hawaiian Islands to coastal artisanal fisheries Closure large of portion Federal of waters in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, i.e., Marine National Papahanaumokuakea Monument Annual workshops for captains and crew for protected species training – – – – – – – – – The National Marine Fisheries Service monitors bigeye catches throughout the year and projects when the Hawai‘i longline fishery will reach its limits. The Hawai‘i longline fishery is an iconic, inter- nationally recognized responsible managed fishery. An assessment of the Hawai‘i longline fishery against Code the FAO of Conduct for Responsible Fishing resulted in a score of 94 percent consistent. Pelagic FEP measures applicable to the Hawai‘i fisherylongline

• • • • - - Domestically in the Pacific,Western the Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council manages bigeye under its Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) for PacificPelagic Fisheries. In theIn EPO, the Hawai‘i longline fishery is subject to an annual catch limit of 500 for mt vesselsover meters.24 The Hawai‘i longline fishery is subjectWCPO to a in mt 3,554 in mt 2014; longline limit of 3,763 and in mt 2017. 3,345 and 2016; 2015 The IATTC has in place a seasonal total purse- seine closure, seasonal a purse-seine area closure and national longlinelimits. ing juvenile bigeye tuna. address To bigeye overfishing WCPO,in the the WCPFC has established a seasonal purse-seine FAD closure, national FAD set limits and national longline bigeye limits. In theIn WCPO and EPO, purse seiners targeting skipjack and yellowfin, incidentally harvestmore bigeye than what is caught by longliners targeting adult bigeye. Since the advent of fishing on fish aggregation devices(FADs) by purse-seine vessels in the 1980s, purse-seine vessels have been increasingly harvest In bothIn theWCPO and EPO, bigeye is harvested by purse-seine and longline gears. Internationally in the Pacific, bigeye is managed through theWCPFC and IATTC, W be with 150° Considered a highly migratory species,bigeye is managed internationally and domestically. ing the general demarcation separating the WCPO and EPO and the respective management regimes.

The darker blue area is under both WCPFC and IATTC jurisdiction. Orange dots represent jurisdiction of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. • • • • • • • • • Management •