Atlantic bluefin tuna

100 centuries of changing fisheries

By alain Fonteneau
IRD Tropical tuna scientist
100 0 -40
65 65

0 0

-25 -25
100 0 -40
 Topics covered by the conference

1) Prehistoric bluefin
2) Greek and roman antiquity
3) Middle ages to 1900
4) 20th century: a patchwork of changing fisheries

5) Conclusion: bluefin tuna is really unique

 10.000 B.C.: the end of the last glacial period

• The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age,
occurring in the Pleistocene epoch. It began about 110,000 years ago and ended
between 10,000 and 15,000 B.C. The end of the last glacial period was about 12,500
years ago
• During the last 8000 years, the climate around the Mediterranean Sea has been
much the same as today (Webb & Bartlein 1992).
An interesting bluefin biological question:

No Bluefin spawning in the Mediterranean Sea during 10000 centuries due to its
unsuitable environment? Too cold temperature, too variable salinities and low sea
level.

But, it is possible that some bluefin did maintain a successful spawning in the
Eastern Mediterranean Sea even during the last Ice age (Doumenge), since even
during the coldest periods, some regions in the Mediterranean area had temperate
climate.
 6500 to 5000 years B.C.

100 0 -40
65 65

Kattegat

Baltic Sea

7000 to 6000 years B.C.

0 0

-25 -25
100 0 -40
Volos

Saliagos
Greek,roman, carthaginian and phenician active
bluefin fisheries: 2000 BC -> 400 years AC
100 0 -40
65 65

Preparing Sashimi in a
Greek style
3000 years ago
0 0

-25 -25
100 0 -40

Roman hook, Louvre museum

(this hook may have caught a bluefin
2000 years ago)
 400 to 1300, a period of lower fishing
activities
• This post roman empire period has been facing many disturbances,
due to political/human problems
• The great Arabic Spanish civilization during the late 1st and early
2nd milleniums was not active on tuna fisheries
• The Viking assaults around the mediteranean Sea was a limiting
factor for large sacle and fixed fishing installations
• Data on bluefin fisheries are very scare during this period, but it
was probably a period of very low fishing activity
• Nothing can be said upon the levels of bluefin biomass during this
period
 Around year 1200:
the birth of large scale bluefin « big business »,
mainly in Italy and later in Spain, widely under the
control of Genoa bankers Beach seine still
predominantly used in the Mediterranean Sea untill the
early 17th century
After 1600: development of fixed seasonal anchored traps
West & East of Gibraltar and in several spots of the Mediterranean Sea
 8000

Prise t.
6000

4000

2000

0 1600 1636 1672 1708 1744 1780 1816 1852 1888 1924 1960 1996
1612 1648 1684 1720 1756 1792 1828 1864 1900 1936 1972
1624 1660 1696 1732 1768 1804 1840 1876 1912 1948 1984

an

Favignana & Formica Sardaigne Algarve

Medo das casas Espagne

Mediterranean Sea, 3 centuries of « bankers » statistics showing:

- Hundreds of traps, and centuries of high yearly BFT catches, spawners at large
sizes
- Permanent trap activities during centuries, targeting pre or post spawners, but
long term cycles of biomass, independent of exploitation rates, driven by the
environmental variability that has been well shown by the Fromentin and Ravier
analysis
- It can be concluded that the Mediterranean Sea has been, during most years and
during milleniums, the/a major spawning zone for Atlantic buefin tunas
Lines and troll already used to catch bluefin in
the Bay of Biscay in the 17th century,
but mainly during the nineteenth century

100 0 -40
65 65

0 0

-25 -25
100 0 -40

But the development of the large scale bluefin fisheries in the Bay of Biscay
Came later and during the ninetheen century (and mainly in Spain)
 Bluefin in the Black Sea?
• Bluefin tuna was common in the Black Sea during ancient Greek times and
found in Pantikapei (currently - Kerch).
• During first half of last century and until the 1960s, bluefin was often
recorded in small schools off northern coast of the Black Sea in late
summer and during the autumn (without target fishery)
• BFT used to migrate in the autumn to the mouth of the Kerch Strait
(narrow strait between Azov and Black Sea) to forage on the Azov
population of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus), which migrate for wintering
to the Black Sea. It was reported (anecdotical records) that bluefin
damaged anchovy purse seines breaking net wall during their movement in
and out of the purse seine.
• Bluefin were often recorded as bycatch in the traps along Southern Crimea.
• Starting from early 1970-s bluefin becomes very rare in the north coast of
the Black Sea: the last BFT caught in 1975 (trap bycatch).
• World record of the largest BFT ever caught in the Black Sea: 787 kg
• Nowadays: bluefin vanished from the Black Sea, most top predators are also
gone

Azov Sea
Kerch *
Black Sea
 1900-1955 During the 30ies:
Norvegian harpoons were found
on giant bluefin In the Med ?
100 0 -40
65 65

0 0

-25 -25
100 0 -40
 North Sea bluefin fisheries:

• Active purse seine fisheries since 1930, but large biomass of bluefin observed
well before by scientists and fishermen
• Harpoons have also been used by Norvegian fishermen
• Its major development observed post WW2
• But bluefin was sometimes very abundant well before: exemple of the 2000t of
small bluefin caught in Gotheborg bay, in August 1942, by sardine vessels and
hand lines
20 000

15 000
Prise (t.)

10 000

5 000

0
1930

1935

1940

1945

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990
An
 Giant bluefin tunas in the Western and Eastern
Atlantic:
heavily targeted by sport fishermen since the early
1900ies

Various bluefin sport fisheries existed in Denmark

and England since the 1920s…and in Brittany 1946-
1953
 East coast of Canada and USA:
bluefin sport fisheries active since 1850

Small bluefin were commonly
caught recreationnaly from the
mid 1850s

The 1st giants, that were
common during these years,
were caught in the early years
of 20th century

Fishes over 250 kg became
common in the sport R&R
fishery, following the
development of suitable fishing
tackle, but after 1920

A major bluefin tournament,
the Sharpe cup, has been
targeting giant bluefin in Nova
Scotia since 1930.

Bluefin world record:

Nova Scotia, 1496 pounds, 1979
 An overview of adult bluefin fisheries centered on 55
years of Japanese longline data
100
90
80
70
% Japan

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005
Year

Percentage of bluefin caught by Japanese longliners against total bluefin

catches by longliners

Japan: 70% of total BFT catches taken by longliners, 1950-2005

Always with quite good C/E statistics, at least much better than all other bluefin
fisheries
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1960 1960
1961
1962
1960 1960
1961
1962
1960
1961
1962
1960
1961
1962
1963 1963 1963
1964 1963
1964 1964
1965 1964
1965 1965
1966 1965
1966 1966
1967 1966
1967 1967
1968 1967
1968 1968
1969 1968
1969 1969
1970 1969
1970 1970
1971 1970
1971 1971
1972 1971
1972 1972
1973 1972
1973 1973
1974 1973
1974 1974
1975 1974
1975 1975 1975
1976
1976 1976 1976
1977
1978 1977 1977 1977
1978
1980 1979
1980
1981
1980 1979
1980
1981
1978
1979
1980
1981
1978
1979
1980
1982 1981
1983 1982 1982 1982
1984 1983 1983 1983
1985 1984 1984 1984
1986 1985 1985 1985
1987 1986 1986 1986
1988 1987 1987 1987
1989 1988 1988 1988
1990 1989 1989 1989
1991 1990 1990 1990
1992 1991 1991 1991
1993 1992 1992 1992
1994 1993 1993 1993
1995 1994 1994
1996 1994
1995 1995 1995
1997 1996 1996
1998 1996

2000 1999
2000
2001
1997
1998
1999
1997
1998
1999
1997
1998
1999
2000 2000 2000
2002
2003
2004
2000 2001
2002
2003
2001
2002
2003
2001
2002
2003
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2004 2004 1960
2004 1961
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1960 1960
1961
1962 Gulf US E. Coast Iceland Central
1962
1963
1964
1965
1963 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 - 40
65 65 1966
1964
1965
1966 Mexico Atlantic 1967
1968
1969
1967 60 60
1968 1970
1969 1971
1970 1972
1971 1973
1972 1974
1973 1975
50 50 1976
1974
1975 1977
1976 1978
1977 1979
1978 1980
40 40 1981
1980 1979
1980
1981 Med
1982
1983
1984
1982
1983 30 30 1985
1984 1986
1985 1987
1986 1988
1987
20 20 1989
1988 1990
1989 1991
1990 1992
10 10 1993
1991
1994
1992
1993
1994
1995
Brasil 0 0
1995
1996
1997
1996 1998
1997 1999
- 10 - 10

2000 1998
1999
2000
2000
2001
2002
2003
2001 - 20 - 20
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 - 40 2004
2002
2003
2004
 Catch (t.) CPUE (nb/10000 h.)

0
50
100
150
200
250

0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
3 500
4 000
1958 1958
1960 1960
1962 1962
1964
1965
1966
1968 1967
1970 1970
1972
1972
1974
1976 1974
1978 1977
1980 1979
1982
1982
1984

Month & year

1986 1984
year & month

1988 1987
1990
1989
1992
1994 1991
1996 1994
1998 1996
2000
1999
2002
2004 2001
2003
catches in the 3 best 5° squares
Japanese longliners: average monthly bluefin nominal CPUEs and
Bluefin Catches and CPUEs of Japanese longline
fisheries:
50 years of variable fishing zones and seasons
 Back to 1956: first Japanese longliners in the
Equatorial Atlantic
A new equatorial longline fisheries targeting yellowfin,
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
65 65

60 60

50 50

40 40

30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0

-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
BFT BSW
1956-1958
YF TAL
1000
TBE
 1956-1958

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 100 0 -40

65 65 65 65

60 60

50 50

40 40

30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0
0 0

-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 -25 -25
1956-1958 BFT 250 100 0 -40
BFT 100

Japanese longliners still without while various bluefin fisheries are active,
significant equatorial bluefin catches in the Northen Atlantic: at least in the
Med., in Morocco, North Sea, and USA
 1959-1963
A moderate geographical expansion of the longline fisheries, but large
bluefin catches seasonally taken in some 5°sq in the equa torial areas

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40

65 65

60 60

50 50

40 40

30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0

-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
BFT BSW
1959-1963
YF TAL
1000
TBE
 1959-1963
Bluefin taken by longliners: large catches, but 100% in equatorial areas
A period of low but increasing yearly catches: 1700 t. /year
50
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
65 65

60 60
40

Major catches in
30 50
Morocco:
50
5000t
40 40
20
80 70 60 50 40
30 30

A US purse seine
fishery catching
20 20

a mixture of small 10 10

bluefin and skipjack 0 0

-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
1959-1963 BFT 250

A new & very surprising bluefin fishing zone by japanese longliners

 Brasil: bluefin was not « the » target species,
but seasonally the dominant species,
then « a » real target, as in April 1964
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
65 65

60 60

50 50

40 40 60 50
YFT BFT

30 30
BET SWO
ALB
20 20

10 10

0 0

April 1964:
-10 -10
2700 tons of Bluefin
-20 -20 caught in 1 month,
-25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30
-25
-40 60% of total catches
300 in this area

Catches by species by Japanese longliners in April 1964

Monthly bluefin catches in the Brasilian, Bermuda (early 60ies)
and mediterranean fisheries (total 1972-2006)

100 000
80 000
Catch

60 000
40 000
20 000
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Month

Brasil Bermuda Mediterranean Sea

A highly seasonal fishery, before and after the typical Bluefin spawning
season. There was opposite fishing seasons in the Mediterranean Sea and
other areas (Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Bermuda area)
 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30
60 60 60 60 60 60

50 50 50 50 50 50

40 40 40 40
40 40

30 30 30 30
30 30

20 20
20 20 20 20

10 10
10 10 10 10

0 0
0 0 0 0

- 10 - 10
- 10 - 10 - 10 - 10

- 20 - 20
- 20 - 20 - 20 - 20

- 30 - 30
- 30 - 30 - 30 - 30

- 40 - 40
- 40 - 40 - 40 - 40

- 50 - 50
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30
- 50 - 50 - 50 - 50

1961 1962 1963

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30
LL Japan BFT catches 1962 BFT 500 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30
LL Japan BFT catches 1961 BFT 500 LL Japan BFT catches 1963 BFT 500

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30
60 6060 60
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30
60 60

50 5050 50
50 50

40 4040 40
40 40

30 3030 30
30 30

20 2020 20
20 20

10 1010 10
10 10

0 00 0
0 0

- 10 - -1010 - 10
- 10 - 10

- 20 - -2020 - 20
- 20 - 20

- 30 - -3030 - 30 - 30 - 30

- 40 - -4040 - 40 - 40 - 40

- 50 - -5050 - 50 - 50 - 50
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30
LL Japan BFT catches 1964 BFT 500 LL Japan BFT catches 1965 BFT 500 LL Japan BFT catches 1966 BFT 500

1964 1965 1966

Bluefin catches by Japanese lonliners 1961-1966: 6 years of changing Bluefin fishing zones
 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 65 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -3065
65 65

60 60
60 60

50 50
50 50

40 40
40 40

30 30
30 30

20 20
20 20

10 10
10 10

0 0
0 0

-10 -10
- 10 - 10

-20 -20
- 20 - 20
-25100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30-25
- 25 - 25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 - 10 - 20 - 30 30
1959 BFT

1958 BFT 30

65 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -3065

65 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -3065
65 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -3065

60 60
60 60 60 60

50 50
50 50
50 50

40 40
40 40
40 40
30 30
30 30
30 30
20 20
20 20
20 20
10 10
10 10
10 10
0 0
0 0
-10 -10 0 0
-10 -10

-20 -20 -10 -10

-20 -20
-25100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30-25
-25100 -30-25 -20 -20
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 30
1960 BFT 30 1961 BFT
-25100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30-25
30
1962 BFT

65 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -3065 65 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -3065 65 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -3065

60 60 60 60 60 60

50 50 50 50
50 50

40 40
40 40
40 40

30 30
30 30
30 30
20 20
20 20
20 20
10 10
10 10
10 10
0 0
0 0
0 0
-10 -10
-10 -10
-10 -10
-20 -20
-20 -20 -25100
-20 -20 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30-25
-25 -25 30
-25100 -30-25
100 90 80 70 60 50
30
40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30
1965 BFT

90 80 70 60 50
30
40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20
1964 BFT

1963 BFT

Bluefin CPUEs of Japanese Lonliners 1958-1965

 1962-1964
BFT sizes Norway 1962-64

4000

3500

Nordic sizes 3000

2500

Nb
2000 0
1500
1000
500

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Weight kg

Brasil sizes?

Sizes caught were quite different in the North Sea and Brasil areas:

Smaller fishes taken off Brasil:

a majority of North Sea BFT > 200kg

a majority of brasilian BFT < 200kg off Brasil
 Brasilian BFT and Southern Bluefin?
pre and post spawning seasonal feeding ground?
similar to the OKI areas of Southern Bluefin off Australia?
80 - 90 - 100 - 110 - 120 - 130
- 5
Spawning zones, by quarters
- 10
Spawning seasons much
wider than in the Med
- 20
Feeding areas:
Pre and post spawning

- 30 3000 t.
q1 q4

q2 q3

- 40
80 - 90 - 100 - 110 - 120 - 130

All the SBT catches in the pre and post spawning zones off Australia have been
taken seasonally before and after SBF spawning at temperate latitudes 25 to 35°S, and
in quite cold waters <25°C

This SBT scheme may have similarities with Atlantic Brasilian BFT, but quite weakly
 1962: the end of the North Sea large scale
bluefin fisheries by purse seiners

Increasing sizes of bluefin caught in
6060
65
65
70
70
75
75
79
79 the North Sea indicate that there was
300
no recruitment in the Northen fishery
since the late fifties

The end of this fishery is not fuly
understood, but it remains widely
250 unexplained, but it is not really due to
stock overfishing (Fromentin 2008)

200

150

BFT Norway
 1964-1966
Period of very high yearly catches: 14000 t. /year
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
65 65

60 60

50 50

Bahamas 40 40

30 30

& 20 20

10 10

0 0

Brasil
-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
1964-1966 BFT 250

Brasil area, more probably a feeding zone: , low gonad indices…..

Bahamas, a typical spawning stratum?: highly concentrated in time & area,
And in June, « the » typical spawning month of Atlantic bluefin tuna.
 20 000

18 000

16 000
14 000
BFT catch t.

12 000
BFT Nordik
10 000 LL Bermuda
LL Bresil
8 000
6 000

4 000

2 000
0
1950

1952

1954

1956

1958

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

1970
Brasilian catches of bluefin have been at a high level during the 1962-1965 period;
When 1962 was the last year of very high catches by the nordic fisheries
 Japanese longliners 1967-1974
Period of very low yearly catches: 1300 t. /year,
just before the implementation of ultrafreezing and its
subsequent sashimi boom
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
65 65

60 60

50 50

40 40

30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0

-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
1967-1974 BFT 250
 1968-1973

Also the period of lowest bluefin total catches in the Atlantic: 16.000t,
Probably due to a combination of low abundance, and still a low
commercial value in Japan
60 000

50 000

40 000

30 000

20 000

10 000

0
1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995
 Morocco: a major bluefin fishing country,
permanently active in the Atlantic, Gibraltar
and the Mediterranean Sea
6 000

5 000

4 000
C a tc h t.

3 000

2 000

1 000

0
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
Year

PS Traps Others

But also facing a period of major decline of its bluefin fisheries, at the end of
the sixties and seventies
 1975-1980
Bluefin now increasingly targeted by longliners (and other gears),
because of its increasing value on the sashimi market

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40

65 65

60 60

Northern limit
50 50
at 50°N

40 40

30 30
Quite large
catches in Gulf of
20 20
Mexico
10 10

0 0

-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
1975-1980 BFT 250
 1981-1993
A transition period of moderate yearly catches for Japan:
3000 t. /year
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
65 65

60 60

Northern limit
50 50 at 55°N

40 40

30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0

-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
1981-1993 BFT 250
 1994-2006
Period of moderate but increasing yearly catches:
3600 t. /year
65
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
65
Northern limit at
65°N,
60 60

A new major fishing

50 50
zone in the (Gulf
Stream) North
40 40
Atlantic drift
30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0

-10 -10

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
1994-2005 BFT 250
 Recent changes in other bluefin fisheries

• US bluefin catches/CPUEs of large bluefin by rod and reel are very

low, since 2004, probably due to a local effect,
• While simultaneously in Canada, the Gulf of St Lawrence bluefin
catches/CPUEs are high
• Record high catches in the Mediterranean Sea by a wide diversity
of fisheries and gear, and major changes of fishing zones in the
Med., but unfortunaltely a nearly complete lack of TASK2 statistics
does not allow to analyze these major changes:

The major spawning zone off Baleares of stock since 1997 (?),
possibly an overfished and vanished sub population?

Very high catches off Lybia since 2001 (?), probably also a major
spawning zone?

Major declines in most Mediterranean trap fisheries, probably
indicative of the adult stock decline
An average overview of the best monthly CPUE ever observed in each 5° squares and
month for Japanese longliners during the 50 years period. A map showing all the
areas where bluefin had a high local abundance, sometimes during the period
 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
65 65

Atlantic
60 Subarctic 60

NE Shelves

50
North Atlantic 50
Drift

s t ic
ve n
el tla
Gulf
Sh W A
40 North Atlantic 40
Stream Sub tropical
N

North Atlantic Mediterranean

gyre E
30 Sub tropical Sea 30

gyre W
20 North Atlantic gyre 20

Caribbean
10 10
Western
0 Tropical Eastern 0
Tropical
-10 -10

South Atlantic gyre

-20 -20
-25 -25
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40
BFT catches/LL 1959-2005 BFT 100 tons

An average overview: 50 years of bluefin catches by 5°s quares by Japanese longliners.

The geographical ditribution is quite wide and scattered in various ecosystems, but without any
dominant fishing zone, each area being mainly fished during part of the 50 years period
 Iceland-Faroe
Central Atlantic Brasil
Gulf Mexico
Mediteranean Sea

16
14
% of total
12
catches
10
8
6
4
2
0
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
SST (°C)
Bluefin tuna: a great flexibility to live in a wide range of Sea Surface temperature, as
shown by Bluefin catches by Japanese longliners as a function of the corresponding
average sea surface temperature (by quarter and 5°squar es)

Bluefin tuna is by far, among all other tuna species, the tuna taken in the widest
range of SST: from sub Arctic to equatorial waters
 Bluefin fisheries and stocks:
a poorly explained permanent major variablity.
Without clear W-E or N-S frontiers between stocks
Bluefin historical fisheries have been permanently showing large scale
variabilities: at local and global scales
• Part of this variability can be explained by environmental
fluctuations and long term biomass cycles
• As these environmental factors widely condition (1) bluefin spawning
strata, (2) its feeding strata, and (3) the overal levels of bluefin
biomass
• But many of the observed changes in fisheries and fishing zones
remain difficult to fully explain: North Sea, Brasil, Bermuda, more
recently vanishing bluefin in the US coast and in the Baleares
fishing grounds, in the traps fisheries, and others…
• The increasing effects of increasing overfishing and of declining
stock biomass are logical and clear in some cases, but much less in
others.
• Local declines of the bluefin favourite preys may also partly explain
some local declines: US coast, Norway, Trebeurden Bay
 2 bluefin stocks in the western and eastern
Atlantic? Month
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1960
1961
• The ICCAT frontier between 2 1962
1963
western and eastern stocks was 1964
1965
mainly administrative: 1966
1967
• Established by the ICCAT 1968
1969
Commission in 1981, it was not 1970
1971
based on SCRS 1972
1973

Year
recommendations 1974
1975
• This frontier was mainly linked 1976
1977
with active presence of 1978
1979
Japanese longliners targeting 1980
1981
bluefin along the US coast. 1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987

Monthly bluefin catches by

Japanese lonliners in the Gulf
of Mexico
• This political decision was de facto accepted by SCRS in its later work, but without
analyzing & explaining to the Commission the potential dangers of such decision
• Bluefin biomass in the Western Atlantic is possibly driven more by catches in the
Eastern Atlantic (From Brazil, Norway, Iceland, Bay of Biscaye & Med.), than by
the local minor catches of bluefin in the Western Atlantic
• This ICCAT frontier remains weakly justified by the fishery, environmental data, or
by tagging results
• It may be misleading and dangerous for the conservation of Atlantic bluefin
population to use it as a strict assessment and management frontier
 An overview upon bluefin variability

• Bluefin a typical temperate species, but living in a wide range of

ecosystems
• But a great variability of time and area strata « exploited by
bluefin tunas » for its spawning and feeding.
• Long term cycles of bluefin abundance well shown by centuries of
trap data (Fromentin and Ravier)
• Major fishing zones of bluefin have been always highly variable, due
to changes in bluefin feeding and spawning zones
• Adult Bluefin tuna are highly vulnerable during their very small,
fixed and well identified spawning strata
• Probably a bluefin strict homing behavior: very small birth strata!.
• Spawning strata are possibly showing some variability: for instance
due to environment (Medit. Sea) and/or to overfishing (end of
Baleares spawning?) and possible genetic erosion of sub-populations
 Conclusion
• Bluefin is probably the best exemple of “highly migratory species”
exploting a very wide range of ecosystems
• The time and space variability of its biomass this species is clearly a
major one, but still poorly understood, unexplained and it remain
impossible to model, due to this great & unexplained variability.
• These major uncertainties could be partly solved:

Obtaining 100% of perfect TASK2 statistics: C/E and sizes. A
fishing fleet that is not providing to ICCAT 100% of this TASK2 should
not be allowed to fish!

by an improved biological research on spawning and feeding bluefin
tunas, their feeding, behavior and migration as a function of the
environment

by an intensive wide scale tagging program: tagging all sizes and in all
the main fishing zones, using dart tags, archival and pop up tags.