Details of the latest full stock assessment of southern bluefin tuna are available from the report of the Sixteenth meeting of the CCSBT Scientific Committee:

• Report of the Sixteenth Meeting of the Scientific Committee (3.8MB).
  

Updated fishery indicators are available from the report of the Seventeenth meeting of the CCSBT Scientific Committee:

• Report of the Seventeenth Meeting of the Scientific Committee.

A brief report on the Report on Biology, Stock Status and Management of Southern Bluefin Tuna is also available at:

• Attachment 6 of the Report of the Seventeenth Meeting of the Scientific Committee.

Summary of the Latest Assessment

The 2011 assessment suggested that the SBT spawning biomass is at a very low fraction of its original biomass as well as below the level that could produce maximum sustainable yield. Rebuilding the spawning stock biomass would almost certainly increase sustainable yield and provide security against unforeseen environmental events. The current TAC has been set using the management procedure adopted in 2011, which has a 70% probability of rebuilding to the interim target biomass level by 2035.

Stock prognosis
There is a positive outlook for the SBT stock based on the 2011 assessment, including:

• a continued reduction in the total reported global catch;
• the current fishing mortality has reduced to below Fmsy; and
• stock is expected to increase at current catch levels, and future catch levels determined by the MP.

Summary of indicators
There have been mixed signals from the indicators in 2012, including:

• longline CPUE has an increasing trend since 2007 and;
• a decrease in the aerial survey index in 2012 to a low level (also seen in the SAPUE and troll survey results).