• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.414-423
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• 2015

Fishing trend and characteristics of Korean tuna purse seine fishery in the Pacific Ocean were investigated using logbook data compiled from captain onboard and the statistical data from 1980 to 2013. The historical catch of this fishery had sharply increased since mid-1980s, and it has shown fluctuations with about 2-3 hundred thousands, whereas the catch per number of vessel has steadily increased with fluctuations since commencing this fishery. As for the proportion of catch by set type, unassociated type had increased from the mid-1980s to the end of 1990s, and then has decreased up to 2010s. Associated type had decreased continually to the end of 1990s, however, it started to increase since the beginning of 2000s. As for the catch proportion of set type by main species, those of skipjack tuna and bigeye tuna showed higher in the associated type, whereas that of yellowfin tuna has the highest proportion in the unassociated type. Fishing distribution of Korean tuna purse seine fishery was concentrated on the area of $5^{\circ}N{\sim}10^{\circ}S$ and $140^{\circ}E{\sim}180^{\circ}$ through the decades. The monthly catch distribution by longitudinal zone of Korean tuna purse seine fishery expanded the most further to the eastward in September to October.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.449-461
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• 2023

The aim of this study was to conduct an ecosystem-based fishery risk assessment of tuna fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean. We selected gillnet, purse seine, hand line, baitboat, and longline fisheries as the target fisheries method, and selected longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol), narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis), skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (T. albacares), bigeye tuna (T. obesus), albacore tuna (T. alalunga) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) as the target species. The risk score for the size at the first capture in sustainability objective was high, especially, for the purse seine and baitboat fisheries using the fish aggregating devices (FADs). The risk score for the bycatch in the biodiversity objective was high for the gillnet fishery, and the gillnet fisheries using FADs showed high risks for the habitat quality objective due to the loss of the fishing gears. With regards to the socio-economic benefits objective, the risk score of the sales profits was low due to high sales of the tuna fisheries. The ecosystem risk score in the Western Indian Ocean was estimated to be moderate, although management is required for some of the indicators that have high-risk scores.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.22-33
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• 2009

Ecological risk assessment(ERA), developed in Australia, can be used to estimate the risk of target, bycatch and protected species from the effects of fishing using limited data for stock assessment. In this study, we employed the ERA approach to estimate risks to tunas, billfishes, sharks, sea turtles and other species by the Korean tuna longline fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean using productivity and susceptibility analyses of the ERA based on low(<1.30), medium(1.30-1.84) and high risk(>1.84). Albacore, bigeye, yellowfin, skipjack and bluefin tunas were generally evaluated in the medium risk. The susceptibility of tuna species, however, had higher risks than the productivity. Billfishes were also at medium risk, while sharks were at high risk by the tuna longline fishery. The risk of productivity was generally high, because most sharks caught by the tuna longline fishery have high longevities, i.e., over 10 years, including ovoviviparous species. Susceptibility, which is related with the selection of fishing gear, was also high, because the longline fishery has no gear modifications to prevent bycatch of protected species. Not only target tuna species were influenced by the tuna longline fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, but also nontarget species, such as pomfret, mackerels rays, sea turtle were done. Ecosystem-based fishery assessment tools, such as productivity and susceptibility analysis(PSA), have the ability to provide broad scientific advice to the policy makers and stakeholders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.299-315
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• 2020

Tuna fisheries were applied to an integrated ecosystem-based fishery risk assessment method using indexes of target species status, inhabited species in a target ecosystem, habitat quality and socio-economic benefit of affected fisheries. This study suggested more effective and efficient management measures to break away from traditional management methods, such as limitation of catch and fishing effort. The results presented that the objective risk index (ORI_S) on sustainability of bigeye and yellowfin tunas by purse seine fishery was estimated high due to the high catch ratio of small fishes. The ORIs of biodiversity (ORI_B) and habitat quality (ORI_H) of purse seine fishery were also estimated at a high level from using fish-aggregating devices (FAD). However, due to skipjack tuna's high catches, the ORI of socio-economic benefit (ORI_E) was estimated at a very low level. Due to the high bycatch rate, ORI_B was high, and ORI_S and ORI_H were evaluated at a low level in longline fishery. Due to strengthern of fishing restrictions and increase of fishing costs, the ORI_E was assessed to be very high. The ecosystem risk index (ERI) for two tuna fisheries was assessed low, but the overall FAD management by purse seine fishery is necessary at the ecosystem level.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.317-325
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• 2022

Korean tuna purse seine fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) began to operate in earnest in the early 1980s. Since then, the total catch has shown an increasing trend and the target species are skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacare) and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus). Based on the operational data of Korean tuna purse seine fishery from 2016 to 2020, the catch rates of target species (skipjack and yellowfin tunas) were analyzed by operation time for set types (free school and FAD sets). In the case of the free school sets, they were usually made from sunrise to sunset, and the catch rate was high before and after sunrise for skipjack tuna and before sunset for yellowfin tuna. On the other hand, for the FAD sets, more than 90% of them were made just before sunrise, and there were few operations during the daytime. The purpose of this study is to examine whether there are differences in the catch rate of skipjack and yellowfin tunas by operation time and by school type for Korean tuna purse seine fishery in the WCPO, which could be helpful in understanding its fishing characteristics and providing useful information for developing the stock indices of the target species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.556-566
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• 2014

Korean distant water tuna longline fishery commenced in 1966 in the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, it has become one of the most important fisheries of Korea. By early of 1970s, total amount of tuna caught in the Atlantic Ocean was the highest among other Korean distant water tuna fisheries, but has become minor since 1990s. The annual catch of tuna and tuna-like species by Korean tuna longline fishery in the Atlantic Ocean was about 1,900 mt in 2013. Bigeye tuna was the predominant species in species composition followed by yellowfin tuna, Albacore tuna, Blue shark and Swordfish. Korean distant water tuna longline fishery have mainly operated in the tropical area of the Atlantic Ocean ($20^{\circ}N{\sim}20^{\circ}S$, $20^{\circ}E{\sim}60^{\circ}W$), fishing ground was almost similar as in the previous years. The length frequency of major species (Bigeye tuna, Yellowfin tuna, Albacore tuna, Blue shark and Swordfish) were estimated. As the result of length (size) frequency data on main species caught by lonline fishery in the Atlantic Ocean, main length intervals of bigeye tuna caught in 2011, 2012 and 2013 were 120~125 cm, 160~165 cm and 130~135 cm, respectively. For yellowfin tuna, those were 125~130 cm, 150~155 cm, 145~150 cm and for albacore, 109 cm, 102 cm, 109 cm and 106 cm respectively. For swordfish caught in 2011, 2012 and 2013, main length intervals were 130~135 cm, 125~135 cm and 125~130 cm, respectively, and for blue shark, 195~200 cm in 2011 and 185~190 cm in 2012, 2013.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.17-31
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to identify economic situation on scale of tuna distant longline fishery by analyzing its economies of scale using the cost function. To analyze its economics of scale, the deep-sea fishing statistics were used from 2012 to 2016. In detail, the number of panels for estimating the cost function was 68 tuna distant longline vessels from 2012 to 2016, and the total number of observations over the five years were 340. As a final model, the two-way fixed effect model based on the translog cost function was adopted through the F test, the Breusch-Pagan test and the Hausman test. As a result of the analysis, it was found that tuna distant longline fishery between 2012 and 2014 was diseconomies of scale, the fishery between 2015 and 2016 was economies of scale. However, the economic indicators of the scale from 2012 to 2016 were almost close to zero, indicating that the constant returns to scale, the optimal scale, were reached. Therefore, in the situation where the amount of fishery resources in the world continues to decrease, it is necessary to prepare a method to obtain economic benefits through scale maintenance and reduction rather than indiscriminate scale expansion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.116-123
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• 2018

Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) has been mostly caught by the Korean offshore large purse seine fishery in Korean waters. The annual catch of Pacific bluefin tuna caught by the offshore large purse seine fishery in Korean waters showed less than 1,000 mt until the 1990s except for 1997. The catch sharply increased to 2,401 mt in 2000 and recorded the highest of 2,601 mt in 2003, but the catch has generally decreased with a fluctuation thereafter. The main fishing ground of Pacific bluefin tuna of this fishery is formed around Jeju Island. However, it expanded to the Yellow Sea, the coastal of Busan, and the East Sea, which depends on the migration patterns of Pacific bluefin tuna by season. The CPUE standardization of Pacific bluefin tuna was conducted using Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to assess the proxy of the abundance index. The data used for the GLM were catch (weight), effort (number of hauls), catch ratio of Pacific bluefin tuna, moon phase by year, quarter and area. The standardized CPUE from 2004 to 2011, except for 2003 and 2010, showed a steady trend, and then increased until 2014. The CPUE in 2015 decreased, and in 2016 was higher than that in 2015. The result of GLM suggests that the effect of the catch ratio of Pacific bluefin tuna is the largest factor affecting the nominal CPUE.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.277-291
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• 2020

In order to understand characteristics on bycatch of Korean tuna purse seine fishery, especially operations associated with Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) in the Indian Ocean, we conducted analyses related to bycatch by school association type (unassociated school, FAD associated school and log associated school) using the data collected by scientific observers from 2016 to 2018. The FAD used by Korean tuna purse seine fishery in the Indian Ocean was a drifting FAD, which belongs to non-entangling FADs according to the category proposed by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). The target species of Korean tuna purse seine fishery are skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tunas, accounting for 99% of the total catch. The ratio of bycatch was 0.97% in total catch and the discard accounted for less than 1%, indicating that most catch was retained on board. In terms of bycatch ratio by school association type, it accounted for 0.12% for unassociated school, 1.09% for FAD associated school and 1.25% for log associated school. As for the catch proportion of shark species by school association type, it accounted for 0.01% for unassociated school, 0.11% for FAD associated school and 0.10% for log associated school, which showed that unassociated school type was the lowest to affect bycatch of non-target and shark species. Given the proportion of bycatch compositions, however, it is considered that FAD associated school of Korean tuna purse seine fishery has less caught bycatch species of non-target and shark, compared to other fleets operating in the Indian Ocean.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.149-161
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• 2016

Fishing characteristics of Korean tuna purse seine fishery in the Pacific Ocean were investigated using logbook data compiled from captain onboard and the statistical data from 1980 to 2014. Changes in fishing ground and correlation between marine environmental factors and fishing patterns were investigated using Oceanographic index. The proportion of unassociated set was higher than that of associated set. The catch proportion of yellowfin was higher in the unassociated set, while that of skipjack and bigeye was higher in the associated set. Due to vessels, fishing gears and Korean captains' high-level of skills in fishing technology optimized for the unassociated set and preference of large fishes, especially large yellowfin tuna, it showed unique fishing characteristics focusing on the unassociated set. As for fishing distributions of Korean tuna purse seine fishery and impacts of oceanographic conditions on the fishery, the main fishing ground was concentrated on the area of $5^{\circ}N{\sim}10^{\circ}S$, $140^{\circ}E{\sim}180^{\circ}$ through the decades. When stronger El-nino occurred, the range of fishing ground tended to expand and main fishing ground moved to the eastern part of western and central Pacific Ocean. During this season, yellowfin tuna had high CPUE and catch proportion of yellowfin tuna in the eastern part also increased. As for the proportion of fishing effort by set type, proportion of log associated set was high during El-nino season while that of FAD associated set was high during La-nina season.