Present Fishery/Conservation

Sunfish are a valued food fish in Asia, with the largest markets in Taiwan and Japan. The value of mola meat has risen from last year as catch rates for the region are decreasing.

Mola mola makes up a large portion of bycatch in Pacific and Mediterranean bluefin longline fishery (see photo on the right). It also makes up a significant portion of the bycatch in the Mediterranean swordfish driftnet fishery, comprising between 70 - 90% of the total catch between 1992-1994. In the Pacific, ocean sunfish are the most common bycatch in swordfish driftnet fisheries, making up approximately 25%, the largest of any species recorded. Though it is a common resident, there is no data on occurrences of ocean sunfish bycatch in the Atlantic Ocean . A recent study on sea turtle bycatch in a region of the western North Atlantic called the NED (North East Distant Area) found mola species to be among the 34 taxa of fish caught by commercial longline vessels making research sets there from July – October 2002.

Ocean sunfish are reportedly “finned” by local fishermen in some parts of the world because they are regarded as a nuisance and bait stealers (see photo to the left). Because sunfish rely on their dorsal and anal fins for locomotion, this practice ultimately results in their death. There is no existing baseline of information on the basic biology, distribution, abundance or fishing induced mortality of this unique fish and scientists have no idea how the global population of ocean sunfish is faring. There is no regulation of the fishery or bycatch of ocean sunfish anywhere in the world.