Skipjack Tuna

Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) is the most-landed tuna and the backbone of the global canned-tuna supply, taken mainly by purse seine, often around fish aggregating devices, and by pole-and-line. It is a fast-growing, short-lived, highly fecund tropical species, which keeps most stocks healthy at current pressure: the western and central Pacific stock, managed by WCPFC, supplies the largest share, with further stocks under IATTC, IOTC, and ICCAT. As an UNCLOS Annex I highly migratory species, skipjack is managed by these tuna RFMOs through effort limits, FAD-set restrictions, and seasonal closures. FAD-associated purse seining raises bycatch of juvenile bigeye and yellowfin.