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Albacore Working Group
General Information
The Albacore Working Group (ALBWG) was established in 2005, but was preceded by the North Pacific Albacore Workshop which was established in 1974. The Working Group is made up of members from coastal states and fishing entities of the region and members from relevant intergovernmental fishery organizations.
The Albacore Working Group regularly assesses and analyses fishery and other relevant information to determine the status of the north Pacific stock of albacore tuna, and to develop scientific advice concerning conservation needs. The most recent stock assessment was completed in 2011.
Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) --- North Pacific
◊ Biological Profile
North Pacific albacore are highly migratory species and these movements are influenced by ocean conditions. Seasonal movements have been observed, especially among juvenile fish, which move into temperate waters of the eastern and western Pacific Ocean in the spring and early summer and return to the central Pacific Ocean in the late fall and winter. Adults tend to be distributed more widely than juveniles and migrate to lower latitudes to spawn.
◊ Fisheries for Albacore in the North Pacific Ocean
The total catch has ranged between 37,000 to 127,000 metric tons (t) historically and for the 30 year period, 1981-2010 has averaged 72,429 t. During the last decade (2000-2009), fisheries in Japan accounted for 65% of the total annual harvest on average, followed by fisheries in the United States (16%), in Canada (7%), and in Chinese-Taipei (7%).
◊ Stock Status and Conservation Information
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Current Research Topics
The 2011 assessment of north Pacific albacore is based on the best available biology, fishery data, and modeling techniques at this time. Nevertheless, many research recommendations were identified during the assessment process that could improve the assessment model. These recommendations are categorized into following six priority areas:
- Age and Growth Modeling
- Spatial Patterns Analysis
- CPUE Analysis
- Maturity
- Data Improvements
- SS3 Model Improvements
Latest Stock Assessment
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Working Group Reports and Working Papers
- La Jolla, USA (November 2005)
- Shizuoka, Japan (November 2006)
- La Jolla, USA (March 2008)
- Takamatsu, Japan (July 2008)
- Shizuoka, Japan (April 2009)
- Kaohsiung, Chinese-Taipei (July 2009)
- Shimizu, Japan (April 2010)
- Victoria, Canada (July 2010)
- La Jolla, USA (October 2010)
- Shizuoka, Japan (June 2011)
- Sapporo, Japan (July 2012)
- Shanghai, China (March 2013)
- Shizuoka, Japan (November 2013)
- La Jolla, USA (April 2014)
- Shizuoka, Japan (April 2015)
- Shizuoka, Japan (May 2016)
- Nanaimo, Canada (November 2016)
- La Jolla, USA (April 2017)
- Vancouver, Canada (October 2017)
- La Jolla, USA (April-May 2018)
- Working Group Chair
- Hidetada Kiyofuji