Extensive tagging of bigeye tuna documents need for Pacific-wide management
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [PacNews] - October 16, 2014 -
NOUMEA, Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) live in temperate-to-tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. In the 1950s, this species began to be targeted by longline fleets; fishing then intensified in the 1990s as purse seine fishing developed, leading to overfishing in the 2010s.
Since 1977, Pacific Island countries and their development partners have realised that tagging is essential in order to gather information on the state of stocks, growth and tuna movements. Tagging with conventional tags has been providing these data for more than 60 years, while over the past 15 years or so, electronic tags have produced additional information, especially on fish behaviour.
Tagging results demonstrate the need for Pacific-wide fishery management approaches. Bigeye tuna management measures should in future be well coordinated between the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the IATTC (in the eastern Pacific)
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