This paper discusses the conclusion of various IATTC stock assessment report on yellowfin that MSY of the longline fishery could be larger than 400000 t. in the EPO. Based on the analysis of fishery data and environmental data in the Pacific ocean and in the EPO, the paper reaches the conclusion that the real potential MSY of longliners on the EPO YFT stock is probably very low, for instance much lower than in the western Pacific ocean. This low potential MSY is simply due to the fact that this resource is not significantly available to longliners, even if their yield per recruit is high. This very low catchability of the EPO yellowfin stock to the past and present longline fisheries is probably explained by the low rates of oxygen observed in this area at the traditional fishing depth of longliners.

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