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Ensuring the future of Atlantic bluefin tuna.

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Title: Ensuring the future of Atlantic bluefin tuna.
Authors: Block, B. A.1 bblock@stanford.edu, Aalto, E. A.1, Pagniello, M. L. S.2, Whitlock, R. E.3, Stokesbury, M. J. W.4, Schallert, R. J.1, Castleton, M. R.1, Walter III, J. F.5, Ferter, K.6, Nøttestad, L.6, Bjelland, O.6, Maxwell, H. W.7, Drumm, A.7, Waters, C.7, Cermeño, P.8
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 4/28/2026, Vol. 123 Issue 17, p1-12. 12p.
Subjects: Bluefin tuna, Fish migration, Fish population measurement, Genetic engineering, Tuna fisheries, Fishery management, Environmental protection, Biotelemetry
Geographic Terms: Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean
Abstract: Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT) are a highly migratory fish that have been exploited by fishers for more than two millennia. This lucrative fishery is managed by the International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), formed by 55 contracting parties. Implementation by ICCAT of an ABT recovery plan and decades of conservation efforts have led to significant progress and the species is rebounding throughout its range. Here, we combine and report on three decades of ABT electronic tag data from five nations that provide fisheries-independent biological information and spatially explicit track data vital to understanding the species' life history. Tag data, state-space modeling, and spawning ground assignments enable estimations of fisheries area utilization, population overlap, and natural mortality that improve the accuracy of management models. We also examine the distribution of ABT fisheries impact over 70 years by assessing ICCAT catch reporting by fleet, gear type, and region. We hypothesize that, under the historical two-stock management paradigm, escapement of eastern juveniles and subadults from the Mediterranean Sea to the lower fishing mortality of the North Atlantic has contributed to the recovery of the eastern stock, with the 45°W meridian acting as an indirect conservation measure for migrating ABT in the West Atlantic. Although recent Management Strategy Evaluation modeling in ICCAT partly incorporates this migration behavior into catch composition estimates and recognizes the contribution provided by eastern migrants to western Atlantic biomass, these complex trans-Atlantic migratory behaviors need to be accounted for in future stock assessments and management. Tag data and development of genomic technology for dockside catch origin assignments can support improvements of stock assessments that will ensure the sustainability of ABT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America is the property of National Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
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PubType: Academic Journal
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  Data: Ensuring the future of Atlantic bluefin tuna.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Block%2C+B%2E+A%2E%22">Block, B. A.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> bblock@stanford.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aalto%2C+E%2E+A%2E%22">Aalto, E. A.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pagniello%2C+M%2E+L%2E+S%2E%22">Pagniello, M. L. S.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Whitlock%2C+R%2E+E%2E%22">Whitlock, R. E.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stokesbury%2C+M%2E+J%2E+W%2E%22">Stokesbury, M. J. W.</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Schallert%2C+R%2E+J%2E%22">Schallert, R. J.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Castleton%2C+M%2E+R%2E%22">Castleton, M. R.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Walter+III%2C+J%2E+F%2E%22">Walter III, J. F.</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ferter%2C+K%2E%22">Ferter, K.</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nøttestad%2C+L%2E%22">Nøttestad, L.</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bjelland%2C+O%2E%22">Bjelland, O.</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maxwell%2C+H%2E+W%2E%22">Maxwell, H. W.</searchLink><relatesTo>7</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Drumm%2C+A%2E%22">Drumm, A.</searchLink><relatesTo>7</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Waters%2C+C%2E%22">Waters, C.</searchLink><relatesTo>7</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cermeño%2C+P%2E%22">Cermeño, P.</searchLink><relatesTo>8</relatesTo>
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  Data: Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT) are a highly migratory fish that have been exploited by fishers for more than two millennia. This lucrative fishery is managed by the International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), formed by 55 contracting parties. Implementation by ICCAT of an ABT recovery plan and decades of conservation efforts have led to significant progress and the species is rebounding throughout its range. Here, we combine and report on three decades of ABT electronic tag data from five nations that provide fisheries-independent biological information and spatially explicit track data vital to understanding the species' life history. Tag data, state-space modeling, and spawning ground assignments enable estimations of fisheries area utilization, population overlap, and natural mortality that improve the accuracy of management models. We also examine the distribution of ABT fisheries impact over 70 years by assessing ICCAT catch reporting by fleet, gear type, and region. We hypothesize that, under the historical two-stock management paradigm, escapement of eastern juveniles and subadults from the Mediterranean Sea to the lower fishing mortality of the North Atlantic has contributed to the recovery of the eastern stock, with the 45°W meridian acting as an indirect conservation measure for migrating ABT in the West Atlantic. Although recent Management Strategy Evaluation modeling in ICCAT partly incorporates this migration behavior into catch composition estimates and recognizes the contribution provided by eastern migrants to western Atlantic biomass, these complex trans-Atlantic migratory behaviors need to be accounted for in future stock assessments and management. Tag data and development of genomic technology for dockside catch origin assignments can support improvements of stock assessments that will ensure the sustainability of ABT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America is the property of National Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1073/pnas.2535185123
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        Text: English
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    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Bluefin tuna
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fish migration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fish population measurement
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      – SubjectFull: Genetic engineering
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      – SubjectFull: Tuna fisheries
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      – SubjectFull: Fishery management
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      – SubjectFull: Environmental protection
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      – SubjectFull: Biotelemetry
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      – SubjectFull: Mediterranean Sea
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      – SubjectFull: Atlantic Ocean
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