Data requirements for operating model of harvest strategy for yellowfin tuna fisheries in North Maluku Waters

Abstract

This Study focused on tuna handline fisheries in Morotai Island, North Maluku. Yellowfin tuna fisheries have great potential economic value. However, the high level of exploitation by small-scale fisheries in coastal waters is feared to disrupt the sustainability of tuna resources therefore, a better management approach is needed, known as a harvest strategy, based on the use of appropriate data and a strong operating model. Indonesia’s government initiated to development of the harvest strategies to manage tuna resources within Indonesia’s archipelagic waters (FMAs 713, 714, dan 715) as a priority action of the National Tuna Management Plan (NTMP). The implementation of the strategy requires adequate data and completeness of instruments. This research tried to identify the adequacy and availability of harvest strategy data and determine yellowfin resource status with LB-SPR. The case studies demonstrate the utility of scientific monitoring data to track trends in the abundance of adult fish without requiring complex stock assessment models through gap analysis. The adequate data harvest strategy was used to condition prototype operating models for testing preliminary harvest strategies through better OMs and MSE. The results showed that the adequacy of the HS data had a gap of 1.56 with an adjustable rate of 63% or not up to standard. The level of utilization of yellowfin tuna resources using the SPR method leads to overfishing.