Purse seine fishing is a consistent and efficient method, enabling fishers to catch and freeze onboard large quantities of tuna.
Purse-seine vessels fish either by spotting free-swimming schools of tuna or by utilizing floating objects that attract fish, either with natural or manmade objects such as fish aggregating devices (FADs).
Key Statistics
Bycatch
Our report ISSF 2025-02: Tuna Fisheries’ Impacts on Non-Tuna Species and Other Environmental Aspects: 2025 Update* examines the effects of different tuna-fishing methods on non-tuna species like sharks.
ISSF 2024-04: Inputs for Comprehensive Bycatch Management Strategy Evaluation in Tuna Fisheries defines bycatch management strategy considerations for several types of tuna fisheries, including purse seine.
Fuel Efficiency
According to an ISSF-commissioned study, ISSF 2025-03: Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Global Tuna Fisheries: 2024 Updated Report, purse-seine vessels in 2023 consumed an average of 496.3 liters of fuel in order to land one ton of tuna.
PURSE SEINE RESOURCES
Jelly-FAD Construction Guide
We created an illustrated guide that gives tuna fishers step-by-step instructions for building jelly-FADs — a new model for non-entangling, biodegradable FADs.
Purse-Seine Skippers & Observer Guides
On our ISSF Guidebooks site, we offer online and downloadable PDF guides for purse-seine fishers in several languages. The skippers guidebook covers FADs, bycatch mitigation and handling, fisheries management, and other topics.
Observers who work on purse seiners also have access to online and PDF guides that highlight purse-seine fishing techniques, species identification, bycatch, scientific sampling, and fisheries management.
Purse-Seine Tuna Catches
Use our “Interactive Stock Status and Catch Tool” to visualize the current purse-seine tuna catch —and purse-seine catch trends over time.
Download the data in different file formats, and generate custom graphics to share via email, Twitter, or Facebook.
