Potential Predictability of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) Catch in the Western Central Pacific

Abstract

The Pacific Island countries have substantial socio-economic dependency on the fishery, and Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) is one of the most important species in the Western Central Pacific (WCP) in terms of its catch amount and associated international trade agreements on fishing right. It has been understood that catch amount of Skipjack tuna in the WCP exhibits spatial-temporal variability influenced by ocean-climate conditions, mainly by the El Ni