Overcapacity and dynamics of a tuna fleet facing catch limits and high efficiency: The case of the Indian Ocean tuna fishery

Overcapacity and dynamics of a tuna fleet facing catch limits and high efficiency: The case of the Indian Ocean tuna fishery | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Overcapacity and dynamics of a tuna fleet facing catch limits and high efficiency: The case of the Indian Ocean tuna fishery Alex Tidd, Laurent Dagorn, Manuela Capello, Patrice Guillotreau This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4528675/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) expresses concern over the overfished state and susceptibility to the overfishing of yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ). Acknowledging the challenges of increased fishing effort in a profitable fishery, our study aims to understand factors influencing French purse seine fishing vessel dynamics. Our primary goal is to assess purse seine vessel utilisation with recent catch limits and compliance with the European Union Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which mandates measures to align fishing capacity with opportunities to sustain fish stocks at maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Using Data Envelopment Analysis, we evaluate the relationship between vessel fishing capacity to catch limits and the MSY reference point for yellowfin tuna. Random Utility Models identify key drivers influencing the fleets' strategic decisions, rigorously assessed with a machine-learning algorithm. Findings indicate that the French fleet could meet catch limits with approximately 21% fewer vessels if fully utilised and 26% fewer if reduced to meet their equivalent MSY share. Key influencing factors include catch revenue, vessel age, biomass levels, and interest rates. The predictive model achieves a 93% accuracy rate, essential for effectively implementing regional conservation policies that balance economic stakes with sustainable fishing practices. Aligning capacity with fishing opportunities is crucial for the profitability and preservation of these essential tuna populations, resulting in more sustainable and economically viable fisheries. yellowfin tuna purse seine excess capacity decision-making sustainability overfishing Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files floatimage1.jpeg Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 31 Oct, 2024 Reviews received at journal 31 Oct, 2024 Reviews received at journal 16 Oct, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Oct, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Oct, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Sep, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 22 Jun, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 05 Jun, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 05 Jun, 2024 First submitted to journal 04 Jun, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4528675","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":314037150,"identity":"527370f9-3958-4be7-a614-91435f950279","order_by":0,"name":"Alex 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