A preliminary study on species composition of a Korean purse seine catch landed at cannery was conducted in April 2011. In the cannery, all tuna catch are sliding through a sorting grid panel that filters and drops fish in the buckets by size class (above 9kg, 3.4-9kg, 1.8-3.4kg, 1.4-1.8kg and below 1.4kg). In cannery processing, species sorting was made for skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna only from catches greater than 3.4kg during filtering but not for bigeye tuna because of difficulties in species identification between bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna under frozen state. As no species identification was carried out for catch groups less than 3.4kg in the cannery process, this study focused on sorting out skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna from these groups and then identifying bigeye tuna from all size groups of yellowfin tuna. Using the mixture rate of species obtained from the samples taken, species composition of the landed catch was estimated. As results, cannery research showed 95% for skipjack tuna, 3% for yellowfin tuna and 2% for bigeye tuna in species composition, while vessel logbook data represented 96%, 3% and 1% for skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna, respectively. The proportion of bigeye tuna identified in the cannery was slightly higher than shown in logbook data by 1%.

We conducted experiments to compare the catch rate of bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna between circle hooks and straight shank hook in the Korean tuna longline fishery at the eastern and central Pacific Ocean from 2005 to 2007. We analyzed difference of fork length, survival and hooking location between a circle hook and a straight shank hook for both tunas, respectively. There was no difference in the mean fork length size of yellowfin tuna caught on the two type of hook but bigeye tuna was significant. In case of survival, there was no difference between two hook type, but the difference of hooking location was significant for both species. We also analyzed to find determinants of both tunas catch rate using generalized linear models (GLMs) which were used latitude, longitude, year, month, depth, hook type, bait type and so on as independent variables. Spatial factors, latitude and longitude, and temporal factors, year and month, affected catch rate of bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna. And also, depth such as a marine environment factor was influenced on catch rate.

The purpose of this paper is to provide useful information for fishermen in the manner of investigation a sinking speed of current type tuna longline gear at the North Pacific Ocean as a new developed tuna longline fishing ground. The sinking depth of mainline in connection with different basket was investigated. The experiments were also performed with different materials such as Supermansen (i.e., PE) and Hitech (i.e., PA) for the mainline to investigate the sinking depth of mainline and hooks. Furthermore, the relation between the sinking depth of hooks and catches are investigated also. The sinking depth of mainline at the first and the last shooting basket shows deeper than that of middle part of a basket due to reduced shortening ratio. The sinking depth of mainline and hook with Hitech material shows more shallow than that of Supermanse material, even the Hitech case was designed to sink deeper than that of Supermanse case. The highest catches arise at the middle part basket as the hook number 7 with around 248m sinking depth. From the results, longline with Hitech material is needed to increase the sinking force for reaching the relevant sinking depth. Moreover, the current strength at the North Pacific Ocean will be considered for further commercial fishing.

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.

This study standardized catch per unit effort(CPUE) of the Korean longline fishery, which has been used to assess the status of stock as an index of abundance, for bigeye and yellowfin tunas in the Indian Ocean. The Generalized Linear Model(GLM) was used to analyze the fishery data, which were catch in number and effort data collected each month from 1971 to 2007 by 5 × 5 degree of latitude and longitude. Explanatory variables for the GLM analysis were year, month, fishing area, number of hooks between floats(HBF), and environment factors. The HBF was divided into three classes while the area was divided into eight subareas. Although sea surface temperature(SST) and southern oscillation index(SOI) were considered as environmental factors, only SST was used to build a model based on statistical significance. Standardized CPUE for yellowfin tuna showed a declining trend, while nominal CPUE for the species showed an increasing trend.

Data collected by on-board observers and from experimental surveys during 2004-2006 were analyzed to figure out the status of shark bycatch in Korean tuna longline fishery. Results obtained from 10 surveys indicated that 14, 13 and 1 species of shark were incidentally caught in Korean tuna longline fishery operated in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic (Mediterranean) Ocean, respectively, and that shark bycatch accounted for about 29-31% of the total catch. Sharks brought aboard were processed in 3 ways; out of 1,127 sharks observed, 575 sharks (51.0%) were discarded after finning, 299 sharks (26.5%) were stored frozen after finning for future use and 253 sharks (22.4%) were released into the sea immediately after caught. The fin to body weight ratio of sharks was estimated to be about 4.7% which is similar to the guideline of 5% established by the international fisheries organizations. The underestimate of shark bycatch in Korean tuna longline fishery was significant because it was general practice that fishermen on-board did not count the discarded shark as a catch.

The transmittance properties of fishing lamp of the squid jigging vessel was investigated during nighttime operations in the Northwest Pacific on 21 and 29 September 2005. The metal halide lamps of white color(2.0kW×168) in the air and metal halide lamp of white color(10.0kW×1) in the underwater were used as a fishing lamp for gathering squids. The relative irradiance of metal halide lamp in the air showed peak in 850nm of wave length. The relationship between underwater illuminance(Y) and water depth(X) of metal halide lamp light in the observation areas is represented, Y=84.137e-0.1105X, R2=0.9974. The distribution of underwater illuminance of measure points St. 1-5 showed low value of 0.11x in 80m depth.

This paper described the experimental squid jigging fishery conducted by a commercial fishing vessel in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean from August to October 2005. Author carried out experimental jiggings of 65 times during 57 days by three type of jigs which were pick jig, soft jig and soft luminous jig. The total catch, effort/day and catches/line-day of northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) were 12,726kg, 35 auto jigging machine and 3.5kg, respectively. Higher CUPE was observed in September, August and October. Catch ratio of pick jig was higher by 57-86% than those of soft jig and soft luminous jig. Higher catch was recorded at the 42˚55'N, 62˚10'W with surface temperature ranging 18-21℃. The range of the dorsal mantle length was from 13.5cm to 23.0cm with average 17.2cm for female and from 13.0cm to 20.0cm with average 17.0cm for male. Sex ratio showed 55.4% of female.

A model experiment, simulation test using personal computer and real sea trial fishing were carried out to investigate the basic efficiency of bottom trawl net which can be used in the sea mount of North West Pacific, and experimental values were analyzed as the values of full-scale bottom trawl net. Hydrodynamic resistance for the full-scale trawl net according to the Koyama equation was 2.1 times higher than that of simulation and 2.4 times higher than that of model experiment at the average towing velocity. At the 3.5kt's of towing speed, net width of the full-scale trawl net was 2.5% smaller than that of simulation and 8.2% larger than that of model experiment. On the fishing experiment of the full-scale trawl net for the 3.5kt's of average towing speed, average net height of A group(same direction with external force) was 423.5% higher than that of model experiment and 457.1% higher than that of simulation and that of B group(opposite direction with external force) were 283.8% and 306.3% higher than in case of model experiment and Simulation respectively. Net mouth of the full-scale trawl net was 338.1-504.6% higher than those of model experiment and simulation in A group, and 525.2-745.3% higher in B group.

This paper summarizes characteristics of the Korean tuna purse seine fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). Major fishing area for the Korean tuna purse seine fleet consisted of the waters of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands and adjacent high seas between 130˚E-180˚ The center of the Korean tuna fishing ground was in the vicinity of 180˚ during the El - Niño event but was formed in 150˚-160˚E during the La - Niño event. As compared with other major purse seine fleets in WCPO, the Korean fleet set more on unassociated schools of tuna, while Japan, USA and Chinese - Taipei fleets accounted for more than 50% of sets on log - associated schools. In general, CPUES for log - associated schools were higher than those for unassociated schools and catch composition showed that yellowfin ratio was higher in unassociated shools than log - associated schools. Length frequency represented higher percentage of mid - sized yellowfin than Japanese and USA fleets. Daily set numbers and CPUE were high before 7 am and remained almost constant from 7 am to 3 pm but decreased rapidly after 3 pm and 5 pm, respectively. Catch composition per set indicated that pure skipjack school was caught most frequently, followed by mixed school and pure yellowfin school as the least, but CPUE was highest for the mixed school.

In order to investigate influence of moon light to the fishing of Pacific saury stick-held dip net fishery in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, casting number, catch and CPUE were analyzed between the full moon and the new moon phases. Based on analyses of data taken from 8 vessels during 1992~2002, casting numbers at the full moon phase and the new moon phase were 110.3 and 121.0 times, respectively, and the first was lower than the latter by 8.8%. Catches of the full moon phase were higher than the new moon phase by 12.5% and CPUE expressed in ton/day and ton/haul were also higher by 31.5%, 26.1% respectively.

북태평양에서 조업하는 우리나라 꽁치봉수망어업의 어획량과 시기별 어장 중심 및 어획적수온 등을 검토하고 조업시 소나 사용에 따른 어획 효과를 분석하였다. 조업 시기는 5~12월이었고 어획 비율과 CPUE 측면에서 볼 때, 한·일 어업협정 발효 이전인 1985~1998년의 주어기는 9~11월로, 발효 이후인 1999~2002년의 주어기는 8~10월로 추정되었다. 한·일 어업협정 이후 어장 중심은 일본 동쪽 연안 측으로부터 러시아 남쿠릴열도 동쪽인 43˚N 와 151˚E 부근으로 이동하였다. 꽁치의 어획적수온은 5월에는 12.5~14.4℃, 6월은 12.0~14.2℃, 7월은 11.4~13.9℃, 8월은 11.4~15.9℃, 9월은 12.9~16.9℃, 10월은 12.7~l7.3℃, 11월은 13.1~17.6℃ 그리고 12월에는 15.0~19.1℃이었다. 어획종은 총 13종으로서 목표종인 꽁치가 99.9% 어획되어 대부분을 차지하였다. 조업일수는 소나를 보유한 조업선과 소나를 보유 하지 않은 조업선 사이에 뚜렷한 차이를 나타내지 않았으나 투망횟수, 어획량 및 CPUE는 소나를 보유한 조업선이 각각 13%, 26%, 12% 높게 나타났다.