Forecast Information and Data Products for Tuna Fishers

Oregon and Washington’s commercial and recreational fishing fleets catch Pacific albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in coastal areas from about July through November depending on the surface water temperatures. Most catches occur when sea surface temperatures range 16 to 18 C (60.8 to 64.4 ºF) (Beamish et al 2005) and sea surface chlorophyll-a concentrations range 0.2 to 0.4 mg m³ (Zainuddin et al 2008). NANOOS' Tuna Fishers App allows users to visualize where these conditions exist.

NOAA's FishWatch describes Pacific albacore tuna as a highly migratory fish species. This migration typically begins in the spring and early summer in waters off Japan, continues through the late summer into inshore waters off the U.S. Pacific coast, and ends in late fall and winter in the western Pacific Ocean. The timing and geographic extent of the albacore's migration in a given year is strongly influenced by ocean conditions.

Troll and pole-and-line albacore fisheries in U.S. and British Columbia waters are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, (AAFA, WFOA, CHMSF), and are given a "Best Choice" rating by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program and "Sustainable or Ocean Wise" by Canada's Ocean Wise Seafood Program. Below are links to data and information products that may be of interest to members of the albacore fishing community.

Further Reading

Beamish, R.J., G.A. McFarlane, and J.R. King, 2005: Migratory patterns of pelagic fishes and possible linkages between open ocean and coastal ecosystems off the Pacific coast of North America. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 52 (5-6), 739-755

Zainuddin, M., K. Saitoh, and S.I. Saitoh, 2008: Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) fishing ground in relation to oceanographic conditions in the western North Pacific Ocean using remotely sensed satellite data. Fisheries Oceanography, 17, 61-73

Watson, J.R., E.C. Fuller, F. S. Castruccio, and J. F. Samhouri, 2018: Fishermen Follow Fine-Scale Physical Ocean Features for Finance. Frontiers in Marine Science: Marine Conservation and Sustainability, 5 (46), 1-13

Forecast Information and Data Products for Salmon Fishers

Salmon fishing along the Pacific coast occurs between May and October, on their return from ocean to streams to spawn. Pacific salmon can be found between 8°C (46°F) and 17°C (64°F) (Hinke et al 2005), with optimal fishing between 10°C (50°F) and 12°C (54°F), especially during early morning and later in the day to avoid bright sun.

Further Reading

Hinke, Jefferson T., George M. Watters, George W. Boehlert, and Paul Zedonis: Ocean habitat use in autumn by Chinook salmon in coastal waters of Oregon and California. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 285: 181–192, 2005

Hinke, Jefferson T., David G. Foley, Cara Wilson, George M. Watters: Persistent habitat use by Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the coastal ocean. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 304: 207–220, 2005