The first attempt to carry out an assessment for this stock was undertaken in 2006. It was noted that the results should be considered preliminary as there remains significant uncertainty regarding the most important parameters of the model. In the absence of other assessments for this stock the following two paragraphs were developed by the WCPFC Scientific Committee on the basis of the results of the preliminary assessment:

“Several of the plausible model scenarios investigated indicate that current levels of fishing mortality may approximate or exceed the reference level FMSY and current spawning biomass levels may approximate or be below the biomass based reference point BMSY.

On the basis of this preliminary assessment, it is recommended as a precautionary measure that there should be no increase in fishing mortality (i.e. fishing effort) on striped marlin in the southwestern Pacific. This recommendation applies particularly to the area encompassing the Coral Sea and the Tasman Sea as these fisheries account for most of the striped marlin catch in the southwest Pacific.”