We constructed the most comprehensive dataset of nominal catches from global tuna fisheries by compiling and harmonizing public domain data from the five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (t-RFMOs) for the period 1918-2021. Under the auspices of the Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), we developed a systematic data flow process in collaboration with the t-RFMO Secretariats. This process involved the implementation of a data exchange format adhering to the standards of the FAO Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP), facilitating the seamless integration of data into the dataset.Nominal catch data are expressed in live-weight equivalent (metric tonnes) and primarily represent the quantities of retained fish either landed or transhipped at sea and in ports. In recent years, data from fisheries in the Atlantic and Western-Central Pacific Oceans have partially included amounts of fish discarded dead. The ... : Tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (t-RFMOs) are regional fishery bodies responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and tuna-like species, associated species, and their ecosystems across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. T-RFMOS routinely collate and consolidate fisheries data from their Contracting Parties to inform the scientific advice guiding the management process.The dataset was compiled using publicly available annual nominal catch data curated and disseminated by the five t-RFMOs: the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the Inter-American TropicalTuna Commission (IATTC), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).The description of each original input dataset can be found at the following links:• CCSBT: https://www.ccsbt.org/en/content/sbt-data• IATTC: https://www.iattc.org/en-US/Data/Public-domain• ...