Simulated archival tagging programme for albacore tuna in the North East Atlantic including an analysis of factors affecting tag recovery

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.

With annual landings worth approximately €60 million, albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) is a highly commercially important species in the North Atlantic. Stock status has declined in recent years, however, with the latest stock assessment categorising the stock as overfished. Very little information is available on the behaviour of fish in relation to environmental variables, and evidence of the existence of sub populations within the North Atlantic is increasing. These issues which have major implications for the stock assessment process could be addressed by electronic tagging but no information is available on the survivability of albacore tuna carrying archival tags. This study aimed to assess the physiological capability of juvenile albacore to carry archival tags. Also, an ICCAT conventional tag database was analysed to examine factors at the point of release which affect recovery, which could boost recovery rates in future tagging programmes