Editing Albacore (section)

===Conservation===
====Fisheries management====
[[File:Dan Panshin and Bob Jacobson talk to an albacore tuna fisherman, 1965 (5857916261).jpg|thumb|[[Hatfield Marine Science Center]] researchers talk to an albacore fisherman in [[Newport, Oregon|Newport]]]]
Albacore are managed by four tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO's): the [[Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission]] (WCPFC), the [[Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission]] (IATTC), the [[International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas]] (ICCAT), and the [[Indian Ocean Tuna Commission]] (IOTC).<ref name=allen>{{cite journal |last1=Allen |first1=Robin |title=International management of tuna fisheries Arrangements, challenges and a way forward |journal=536 Fao Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper |date=2010 |volume=536 |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1453e/i1453e00.pdf |access-date=March 3, 2015}}</ref> ICCAT has established catch quotas in the North and South Atlantic.

There are six globally managed stocks of albacore worldwide, one in the North Pacific, one in the South Pacific, another in the Indian Ocean, two for the North and South Atlantic, and one in the Mediterranean Sea.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-03 |title=Albacore |url=https://www.iss-foundation.org/tuna-stocks-and-management/tuna-fishing/tuna-species/albacore/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=International Seafood Sustainability Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>

There is substantial uncertainty on current stock status, since different models and assumptions provide a wide range of estimates. However, most of them agreed on the view that spawning stock biomass decreased since the 1930s and started to recover since the mid-1990s. Most of the model formulations, as well as the base case, concluded that currently the stock is not undergoing [[overfishing]] but the spawning stock biomass is overfished.<ref name=iucn_old/><ref>{{cite web|title=EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ALB|url=https://www.iccat.int/Documents/SCRS/ExecSum/ALB_EN.pdf|website=www.iccat.int|publisher=The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas|access-date=March 5, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102309/https://www.iccat.int/Documents/SCRS/ExecSum/ALB_EN.pdf|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> IOTC judges albacore in the Indian Ocean are not overfished, but maintaining or increasing effort in the core albacore fishing grounds is likely to result in further declines in albacore biomass.<ref>{{cite web|title=EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: ALBACORE|url=http://www.iotc.org/sites/default/files/documents/science/species_summaries/english/Albacore.pdf|website=www.iotc.org|publisher=Indian Ocean Tuna Commission|access-date=March 5, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091335/http://www.iotc.org/sites/default/files/documents/science/species_summaries/english/Albacore.pdf|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> All of the tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations noted that there is uncertainty surrounding the life history and biology of tunas and tuna like species including age and growth, maturity, and natural mortality rates; uncertainty about the quality and completeness of available data; and uncertainty about recruitment.

The WCPFC has assessed the South Pacific Albacore are not overfished.<ref>{{cite web|title=STOCK ASSESSMENT OF ALBACORE TUNA IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN|url=http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/SA-WP-04-Stock-Assessment-Albacore-Tuna-SPO-Rev-1.pdf|publisher=WCPFC|access-date=March 4, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113709/http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/SA-WP-04-Stock-Assessment-Albacore-Tuna-SPO-Rev-1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the 2014 assessment, the Albacore Working Group of the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in North Pacific Ocean found estimates of total stock biomass (age 1 and older) show a long-term decline from the early 1970s to 1990 followed by a recovery through the 1990s and subsequent fluctuations without trend in the 2000s. The working group concludes that the stock is likely not in an overfished condition at present.<ref>{{cite web|title=STOCK ASSESSMENT OF ALBACORE TUNA IN THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN IN 2014|url=http://isc.ac.affrc.go.jp/pdf/ISC14pdf/Annex%2011-%20NPALB%20Stock%20Assessment%20Report_revsied%2029Aug14.pdf|website=isc.ac.affrc.go.jp/index.html|publisher=International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean|access-date=March 5, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402150439/http://isc.ac.affrc.go.jp/pdf/ISC14pdf/Annex%2011-%20NPALB%20Stock%20Assessment%20Report_revsied%2029Aug14.pdf|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref>

South Pacific albacore stocks have recently (2007 to 2015) shown a 40% reduction in stock.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-30/alarming-population-crash-in-southern-albacore/6900728 |title=Alarming population crash in southern albacore tuna prompts catch rethink |access-date=2015-11-02 |website=ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)|date=2015-10-30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-22/pacific-nations-agree-to-bring-tuna-fishery-under-their-control/5834354 |title=Pacific nations agree to historic tuna fishery pact to protect local industries |access-date=2015-11-02 |newspaper=ABC News|date=2014-10-22 }}</ref>

[[Population genomics|Population genomic]] research supports the distinction of separate North and South Pacific stocks, but results indicated that [[Introgression|interbreeding]] occurs between these populations and some potential migrants were genetically identified.<ref name="Vaux-2021" />

====Other organizations====
A number of programs have been developed to help consumers identify and support responsible and [[sustainable fisheries]]. Perhaps the most widely accepted of these programs is that of the [[Marine Stewardship Council]] (MSC). Several albacore fisheries have been certified as sustainable according to MSC standards, including the U.S. North and South Pacific albacore [http://www.fao.org/fishery/fishtech/30/en pole and line] and [http://www.fao.org/fishery/fishtech/1015/en troll/jig] fisheries ("pole and troll"), Canadian North Pacific troll fishery, and the New Zealand South Pacific troll fishery.<ref name=MSC>{{cite web|author=Marine Stewardship Council|title=List of all certified fisheries|url=http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/all-certified-fisheries|publisher=MSC.org|access-date=15 February 2012}}</ref>

[[SeaChoice]] ranks albacore as a "best choice" for consumers, although notes some "moderate concerns" regarding the management effectiveness (in particular, no definitive assessment of the albacore stock of the [[Indian Ocean]] fishery has taken place), and "moderate concern" over the fishing stock, especially regarding the North Atlantic albacore population, which the [[National Marine Fisheries Service]] (NMFS) considers overfished with [[overfishing]] still occurring. In 2007, SeaChoice considered the southern Atlantic stock to be overfished but not currently experiencing overfishing. They regarded North Pacific albacore stocks as not overfished and not likely to be experiencing overfishing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seachoice.org/profile/70/view|title=Tuna: Albacore|work=[[SeaChoice]]|access-date=2007-02-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912080740/http://www.seachoice.org/profile/70/view|archive-date=2007-09-12}}</ref>