North Atlantic and Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna: Biological and Economics Issues

The Northern Atlantic and Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna (Thionnus Thynnus) is a highly migratory species that faces a serious risk of extinction. In the most recent years, there has been a clear decrease in the Bluefin tuna stock, most noticeable in the Western Atlantic, caused by an increase and technological improvement in the fishing effort directed at the Bluefin Tuna. This has been stimulated by the high value placed on this fish, especially in the Japanese market. Some regulations have been studied and adopted in order to prevent this stock from being depleted. In this report, we intend to describe important aspects of this fish-ery, including the biology of the species and its migratory pattern, the stock evolution. the catches and landings, the regulations and management recommendations and the economic issues, namely the price evolution of Bluefin Tuna and information on costs and revenues broken down by gear. These elements are essential to an understanding and modelling of the dynamics of the species and its exploitation.N/