Amazing BFT Study from University of Maine

[Roccus7]

This satellite tag was deployed on a 109” (276.86 cm) Atlantic bluefin tuna in Canada in September, 2024. The tag was programmed for a 12-month duration, but popped off a little early around 11 months. This particular bluefin made quite the impression! This fish crossed the entire Atlantic in just under 2 months, then entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar in May 2025! We also observed that this fish stuck around the Med for the month of June, and then left in July to make its journey back towards the Northwest Atlantic! It is pretty amazing that Atlantic bluefin tuna can make these long journeys across the Atlantic in such a short amount of time! What an amazing opportunity we have to track these outstanding fish!

 

[MakoMatt]

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This satellite tag was deployed on a 109” (276.86 cm) Atlantic bluefin tuna in Canada in September, 2024. The tag was programmed for a 12-month duration, but popped off a little early around 11 months. This particular bluefin made quite the impression! This fish crossed the entire Atlantic in just under 2 months, then entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar in May 2025! We also observed that this fish stuck around the Med for the month of June, and then left in July to make its journey back towards the Northwest Atlantic! It is pretty amazing that Atlantic bluefin tuna can make these long journeys across the Atlantic in such a short amount of time! What an amazing opportunity we have to track these outstanding fish!

IIRC it was not that long ago the thinking between ICCAT and NOAA was that there were two distinct, and different Atlantic BFT, east and west, that didn’t cross the oceans and intermix. I think it was mostly ICCAT’s stance so as to not have to follow NOAA’s quota’s???

 

[Roccus7]

IIRC it was not that long ago the thinking between ICCAT and NOAA was that there were two distinct, and different Atlantic BFT, east and west, that didn’t cross the oceans and intermix. I think it was mostly ICCAT’s stance so as to not have to follow NOAA’s quota’s???

Yes, used to be said that there were 3 separate populations, Western Atlantic, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. There was some talk that Gulf of Mexico was a separate population too.

 

[MakoMatt]

Yes, used to be said that there were 3 separate populations, Western Atlantic, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. There was some talk that Gulf of Mexico was a separate population too.

yes, I remember that now.