Tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (t-RFMOs) are regional fishery bodies responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and tuna-like species, associated species, and their ecosystems across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. T-RFMOS routinely collate and consolidate fisheries data from their Contracting Parties to inform the scientific advice guiding the management process.The dataset was compiled using publicly available monthly geo-referenced catch data curated and disseminated by four t-RFMOs: the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). The data retained pertain to surface fishing gears with the following specifications: (i) types of fishing gears included: surrounding nets, gillnets, entangling nets, and pole-and-lines, (ii) temporal resolution of monthly intervals, (iii) spatial resolution of 1° of longitude and latitude. Data from tuna surface fisheries occurring in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) are not available at the spatial resolution of 1° grid areas of longitude and latitude.The description of each original input dataset can be found at the following links:• CCSBT: https://www.ccsbt.org/en/content/sbt-data• IATTC: https://www.iattc.org/en-US/Data/Public-domain• ICCAT: https://www.iccat.int/en/accesingdb.html• IOTC: https://iotc.org/data/datasets/latest/CE/Surface"FIRMS level 0" refers to the initial stage where the primary datasets undergo processing to form the dataset. The creation of the global FIRMS level 0 dataset involves several sequential steps: Preparation: For confidentiality reasons, details regarding flag state and fishing mode for the geo-referenced catches of the eastern Pacific Ocean purse seine fisheries are available in separate files. For the purposes of the GTA, the catch data from the flag-detailed dataset was scaled up to match the catch data from the school type-detailed dataset. This adjustment was made to estimate catches by both flag state and fishing mode within each stratum. Submission: Public domain datasets from CCSBT, IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC and WCPFC were submitted by the five tRFMOs through the FIRMS Global Tuna Atlas data collection framework at https://i-marine.d4science.org/group/fao_tunaatlas/dcrf-data-call-management. Data were submitted according to the CWP Reference Harmonization standard (https://www.fao.org/3/cc6734en/cc6734en.pdf) using a GTA catch common data format (https://github.com/fdiwg/fdi-formats/blob/main/cwp_rh_generic_gta_taskII.json) Binding: This step involves combining the individual catch datasets provided by the t-RFMOs into a single dataset. Filtering: Data for southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus macoyii) from t-RFMOs other than the CCSBT were excluded. CCSBT is considered the authoritative source of information for this species. Data available at a spatial resolution lower than 1° longitude and latitude or at a temporal resolution lower than monthly were excluded from the dataset. Services: The dataset was loaded in the Tuna atlas database, the FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Spatial Data Infrastructure (GeoServer at https://www.fao.org/fishery/geoserver and GeoNetwork https://www.fao.org/fishery/geonetwork ) and underlying Global Tuna Atlas map viewer https://www.fao.org/fishery/geoserver/tunaatlas/ Publication: The dataset was published on the Zenodo platform with the following DOI: https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.5745986

We compiled a comprehensive dataset of geo-referenced catches from global tuna fisheries that use fishing gears set at the water's surface. This dataset was created by harmonizing public domain data from the five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (t-RFMOs) for the period 1958-2021. Under the auspices of the Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), we developed a systematic data flow process in collaboration with the t-RFMO Secretariats. This process involved the implementation of a data exchange format adhering to the standards of the FAO Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP), facilitating the seamless integration of data into the dataset.Geo-referenced catch data from tuna surface fisheries are reported in either the number of fish or live-weight equivalent (metric tonnes), with some strata providing catches in both units. The catches primarily represent the quantities of retained fish either landed or transhipped at sea and in ports. The data are stratified by year, month, fishing fleet, fishing gear, fishing mode, 1° grid area of longitude and latitude, and taxon. The dataset encompasses 42 medium- and large-sized pelagic species found in both neritic and oceanic habitats of the world's oceans. This includes 14 species of tunas, 9 species of billfish, 4 species of Spanish mackerels, 2 species of bonitos, and wahoo. Despite uncertainties and incomplete data due to under-reporting, the dataset also includes reported catches for 12 species of pelagic sharks and rays that may be either targeted or incidentally caught in tuna and tuna-like fisheries.The dataset serves as a benchmark for the monitoring and assessment of both artisanal and industrial fisheries using surrounding nets, gillnets, entangling nets, and pole-and-lines from over 70 fishing fleets across 69 countries that have exploited tuna and tuna-like species for subsistence and commercial purposes over more than six decades.