Standardization of Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) for Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus obesus) by the Korean Longline Fishery in the Pacific Ocean

This study standardized the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) caught by the Korean longline fishery in the Pacific Ocean. The study used a general linear model (GLM) to standardize the CPUE using catch and effort data aggregated by year, month, and $5{\times}5$ degrees of latitude and longitude in the tropical Pacific Ocean from 1982 to 2008 (except for 1988 and 1989). Explanatory variables in the GLM analysis included year, month, subtropical area, and number of hooks between floats (HBF). The study area and HBF were subdivided into three subtropical areas and six classes, respectively. During the study period, the standardized CPUE was significantly related to the nominal CPUE. The standardized CPUE declined sharply, as compared to the nominal CPUE, after the mid 1990s. In particular, the decline in the standardized CPUE in all subtropical areas in the 2000s was clearer than that of the nominal CPUE.