Atlantic Ocean tuna - longline (StarKist)

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Overview

The fishery being assessed is StarKist Atlantic Ocean longline tuna fishery. The fishery targets albacore (Thunnus alalunga) tuna, bigeye (T. obesus) and yellowfin (T. albacares) tunas. The pelagic longline vessels are flagged to Taiwan, St Vincent, Senegal, Panama and Belize and fish on the high seas (and occasionally in the national EEZs) in the Atlantic. The fishery is managed regionally by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in the Atlantic Ocean.

FIP Description 

The fishery being assessed is StarKist Atlantic Ocean longline tuna fishery. The fishery targets albacore (Thunnus alalunga) tuna, bigeye (T. obesus) and yellowfin (T. albacares) tunas.

FIP Objective(s) 

Sustainable Fish Stocks – To ensure tuna and other primary species catches across the Atlantic Ocean do not exceed sustainable levels by 2025.

Minimising Environmental Impacts – To promote the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management by 2025.

Effective Management – To strengthen governance systems in Flag States, RFMO and the fishery by 2025.

Be in a place to enter MSC full assessment in 2025.

FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
March 2020
March 2025
Next Progress Report Due 
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Species 
Common Name 
Albacore Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus alalunga
Common Name 
Bigeye Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus obesus
Common Name 
Yellowfin Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus albacares
Gear Type 
Longline
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 21 (Atlantic, Northwest)
Area 27 (Atlantic, Northeast)
Area 31 (Atlantic, Western Central)
Area 34 (Atlantic, Eastern Central)
Area 41 (Atlantic, Southwest)
Area 47 (Atlantic, Southeast)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Senegal
Geographic Scope 
Within EEZ
Country Flag of Vessel 
Taiwan
Country Flag of Vessel 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Country Flag of Vessel 
Senegal
Country Flag of Vessel 
Panama
Country Flag of Vessel 
Belize
Regional Fisheries Management Organization
ICCAT
High Seas Name 
Atlantic Ocean
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
13,010 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
15,000 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2020
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
March 01, 2020
36% 21% 43%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

D Some Past Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Mar 2024
Target End Date
Mar 2025

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Key Traceability Ltd.
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Tom Evans
Organization Name 
StarKist
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Matt Hall
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
13198