The coastal tunas, the little tunny Euthynnus afinis and the frigate tuna Auxis thazard, are exploited round the year by the small and large meshed gillnets, and hooks and line at Tuticorin along the southeast coast of India. Catch and catch rate increased in the recent years mainly due to additional effort input and extension of fishing to deeper waters. Catch trend and stock assessment of the species indicated rich abundance of tunas in deeper waters. Stock of E.afinis fluctuated between 281t during 1997-98 and 970t during 2001-02 and that of A. thazard between 103t and 417t. Exploitation rate (0.7) and Emax (0.95) of E. afFnis and that of A. thazard 0.63 and 0.96 respectively indicated under-exploited status.

Little tuna, and frigate tuna, fishery, stock assessment