Tuna statistics show a supply chain shaped by a few dominant species, fishing methods, and ocean regions. In 2023, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Convention Area produced a provisional 2.62 million metric tons of tuna, while U.S. 2024 records show how Atlantic landings, bluefin quotas, and cannery receipts describe different parts of the market.
Table of contents
- Pacific tuna catch at a glance
- Species breakdown in the Pacific
- Fishing gear and the 2023 catch
- Purse-seine fishing effort
- Pole-and-line and longline activity
- U.S. Atlantic commercial landings
- Bluefin and U.S. cannery supply
Pacific tuna catch at a glance
The WCPFC Convention Area produced approximately 2.62 million metric tons of tuna in 2023. This is a provisional estimate for the Convention Area and covers the four target tuna groups unless otherwise stated. The WCPFC figure represented about 53% of the provisional global tuna catch estimate of approximately 5 million metric tons in 2023. WCPFC-CA Catch and Effort Summaries 2023
The 2023 Convention Area catch was about 10% below the historical peak reached in 2019. It was also slightly lower than the 2022 catch, while catches remained fairly similar across the four years from 2020 through 2023. These comparisons are regional catch measures, not a direct measure of retail availability or canned-tuna consumption.
The scale of the catch is useful context for coastal cooking: the Pacific production base is measured in millions of metric tons, but the mix within that total is highly concentrated. The largest share came from skipjack, followed by yellowfin, bigeye, and albacore.
Species breakdown in the Pacific
Skipjack tuna accounted for 1,635,659 metric tons in the 2023 WCPFC Convention Area catch, or 62% of the total. Yellowfin contributed 745,773 metric tons, or 28%. Bigeye contributed 146,181 metric tons, or 6%. Albacore represented approximately 97,000 metric tons, or 4%. WCPFC-CA Catch and Effort Summaries 2023
| Tuna species | 2023 WCPFC catch | Share of Convention Area catch |
|---|---|---|
| Skipjack | 1,635,659 metric tons | 62% |
| Yellowfin | 745,773 metric tons | 28% |
| Bigeye | 146,181 metric tons | 6% |
| Albacore | Approximately 97,000 metric tons | 4% |
The albacore total included 66,334 metric tons of southern albacore and 31,295 metric tons of northern albacore. WCPFC described skipjack as the dominant species, with yellowfin, bigeye, and albacore following in that order.
The provisional 2023 longline fleet comprised 1,692 vessels: 376 domestic Pacific Island vessels, 688 domestic non-Pacific Island vessels, and 628 distant-water vessels. That fleet description is a vessel count, not a species share or a measure of total fishing capacity.
Fishing gear and the 2023 catch
Purse seines were the main gear type in the WCPFC Convention Area in 2023. They accounted for approximately 1.837 million metric tons, or 70% of the Convention Area tuna catch. Longline gear accounted for approximately 228,000 metric tons, or 9%, while pole-and-line gear accounted for approximately 112,000 metric tons, or 4%. WCPFC-CA Catch and Effort Summaries 2023
The mixed Other gear category accounted for approximately 441,000 metric tons, or 17%. Troll gear accounted for approximately 7,000 metric tons, or less than 1%. The percentages are rounded, so they should be read as a compact description of the catch rather than as a more precise allocation.
| Gear category | Approximate 2023 catch | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Purse seine | 1.837 million metric tons | 70% |
| Longline | 228,000 metric tons | 9% |
| Pole and line | 112,000 metric tons | 4% |
| Other | 441,000 metric tons | 17% |
| Troll | 7,000 metric tons | Less than 1% |
The purse-seine fishery remained the largest gear sector in 2023. WCPFC also reported that pole-and-line effort continued to contract, while longline catch remained very stable over the four years through 2023. Those trends describe changes in fishing activity and catch patterns within the Convention Area; they do not establish a global trend for every tuna fishery.
Purse-seine fishing effort
The provisional 2023 WCPFC purse-seine fleet included 259 vessels. Of these, 145 were domestic Pacific Island vessels and 114 were vessels from distant-water fishing nations. The fleet recorded 47,623 fishing days and 52,245 sets in the WCPFC Convention Area during 2023. WCPFC-CA Catch and Effort Summaries 2023
The purse-seine catch included 1,358,582 metric tons of skipjack, 420,523 metric tons of yellowfin, 57,030 metric tons of bigeye, and 744 metric tons of albacore. The species quantities show why purse seines dominate the overall gear profile: the catch was especially concentrated in skipjack, with substantial yellowfin and smaller bigeye and albacore amounts.
Fishing effort measured in sets was about 20% lower in 2023 than in 2010. At the same time, the 2023 purse-seine catch was 13% below the historical peak reached in 2019. These are separate comparisons: one concerns the number of sets against 2010, and the other concerns catch against the 2019 peak.
Pole-and-line and longline activity
The provisional 2023 pole-and-line fleet comprised 87 vessels: 61 Japanese vessels and 26 domestic Pacific Island vessels. The fleet recorded approximately 7,000 fishing days in the WCPFC Convention Area. Its catch included 89,026 metric tons of skipjack, 16,169 metric tons of yellowfin, 4,245 metric tons of albacore, and 2,230 metric tons of bigeye. WCPFC-CA Catch and Effort Summaries 2023
Approximately 99% of the 2023 pole-and-line albacore catch was taken north of the equator. This geographic detail applies specifically to that pole-and-line albacore catch, not to all albacore caught in the Convention Area.
The provisional WCPFC longline fleet deployed 602 million hooks in 2023. Its reported catch included 83,876 metric tons of yellowfin. WCPFC’s broader summary said that longline catch remained very stable across the four years through 2023, while pole-and-line effort continued to contract.
Together, these figures show why catch totals and effort measures need to be kept distinct. Purse-seine activity is described through vessels, fishing days, sets, and species tonnage; longline activity includes a very large hook count; and pole-and-line activity is reported with a smaller fleet and a different catch profile.
U.S. Atlantic commercial landings
NOAA’s preliminary dealer-report estimates for January through December 2024 recorded 645.0 metric tons of U.S. Atlantic commercial yellowfin landings, equal to 1,422,057 pounds. Bigeye landings totaled 234.0 metric tons, or 515,790 pounds. Northern albacore landings totaled 177.2 metric tons, or 390,694 pounds, and skipjack landings totaled 1.7 metric tons, or 3,818 pounds. 2024 Commercial Atlantic Bigeye, Northern Albacore, Skipjack, and Yellowfin Tuna Landings Updates
| U.S. Atlantic commercial tuna | January–December 2024 landings |
|---|---|
| Yellowfin | 645.0 metric tons (1,422,057 pounds) |
| Bigeye | 234.0 metric tons (515,790 pounds) |
| Northern albacore | 177.2 metric tons (390,694 pounds) |
| Skipjack | 1.7 metric tons (3,818 pounds) |
NOAA’s adjusted 2024 U.S. northern albacore quota was 1,067.3 metric tons, or 2,352,970 pounds. The quota included 177.9 metric tons of 2023 underharvest carried forward from the prior year. The 2024 northern albacore landings represented 17% of that adjusted quota.
NOAA reported 234.0 metric tons of bigeye landings for January through December 2024, compared with 682.5 metric tons for the same period in 2023. The Atlantic BAYS figures are preliminary dealer-report estimates, use whole weight, and exclude discards. NOAA also notes that Caribbean reporting may be delayed, so these values should not be treated as a final global Atlantic catch account.
Bluefin and U.S. cannery supply
NOAA’s final landings-only table, updated May 1, 2025, recorded 22,819 U.S. Atlantic bluefin fish weighing 1,593.9 metric tons in 2024. Including dead discards, the total was 1,617.7 metric tons, including 23.8 metric tons of final dead discards. 2024 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Landings Updates
By category, the 2024 U.S. Atlantic bluefin general category landed 4,506 fish weighing 907.4 metric tons. The harpoon category landed 346 fish weighing 75.4 metric tons. The longline category landed 911 fish weighing 158.1 metric tons, and the angling category landed 17,051 fish weighing 452.7 metric tons.
The landings-only bluefin table used 1,341.1 metric tons as the base quota and 1,475.2 metric tons as the adjusted quota. The reported amounts represented 119% of the base quota and 108% of the adjusted quota. These are quota-category comparisons, not a statement that every bluefin category exceeded its individual allocation.
NOAA reports a maximum Pacific bluefin length and weight of 3 meters and 450 kilograms, or 990 pounds. U.S. commercial Pacific bluefin landings totaled 300,000 pounds and were valued at $1.7 million in 2024. U.S. commercial vessels account for an average of 2% of annual Pacific bluefin landings by all fleets fishing in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Pacific Bluefin Tuna: Seafood
U.S. cannery receipts provide a different view of supply because they measure gross unloading weights reported by 11 U.S. tuna packers in short tons. Total receipts in January through December 2024 were 155,682 short tons: 56,182 short tons of albacore, 87,489 short tons of skipjack, and 12,011 short tons of Other tuna. The Other category may include yellowfin, bigeye, bluefin, and longtail tuna. CANNED TUNA INDUSTRY UPDATE: UNITED STATES TUNA CANNERY RECEIPTS, January - December 2024 and Comparison
Domestic U.S. cannery receipts totaled 67,698 short tons, including 1,225 short tons of albacore, 59,109 short tons of skipjack, and 7,364 short tons of Other tuna. Imported receipts totaled 87,984 short tons, including 54,957 short tons of albacore, 28,380 short tons of skipjack, and 4,647 short tons of Other tuna.
For domestic cannery receipts, Western Pacific origins supplied 42,585 short tons, compared with 25,112 short tons from the eastern Pacific. For imported receipts, Western Pacific origins supplied 63,137 short tons, the largest imported ocean-area total in the report. Cannery receipts therefore describe processor supply and unloading weights; they are not interchangeable with vessel landings, quota figures, or the WCPFC Convention Area catch.