Tuna Facts

Longfin Albacore Tuna

This article contains an assortment of information about tuna species including Atlantic bluefin, skipjack, yellowfin, and longfin albacore.

Western Atlantic bluefin tuna are the largest of the Atlantic tuna species. They can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

Bluefin have a lifespan of 20 years or more, and generally don’t spawn until they are 8 years old.

On May 27, 2011, NOAA announced that Atlantic bluefin tuna currently do not warrant species protection under the Endangered Species Act.

In 2011, an angler set a North Carolina state record for Atlantic bluefin tuna by catching an 805 pound, 8 ounce fish off Oregon Inlet.

Also in 2011, a North Carolina state record blackfin tuna was caught off Wrightsville Beach.

A bluefin tuna tagged by Captain Al Anderson was recaptured after 16 years.

Pacific bluefin tuna are the largest species of tuna in the Pacific. Adults can reach nearly 10 feet in length and 990 pounds, with an average lifespan of 15 years.

In 2025, Marc Spagnola was recognized as the new Maryland state record holder for longfin albacore (Thunnus alalunga) for the Atlantic Division. Spagnola’s 78-pound catch exceeded the previous record for longfin albacore set in 2004 by four pounds.

Longfin albacore have torpedo-shaped bodies, high metabolism, and other traits that allow them to swim at approximately 50 miles per hour. Longfins are migratory fish that travel in schools throughout the Atlantic Ocean.

Yellowfin tuna are distinguishable from other tunas by their long, yellow dorsal fin and a yellow stripe along their sides.

Yellowfin tuna are fast-growing and can weigh up to 400 pounds.

Skipjack tuna are identified by stripes along their lower body, and a faint lateral line running lengthwise down each side. Their back is dark purplish blue.

Skipjack tuna grow fast and can weigh up to 40 pounds. They have a relatively short life span of around 7 years.

North Carolina State Record False Albacore

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries recently certified a new state record for false albacore.

Michael Voytkowski of Waverly, Penn., landed the fish in April, 2015, but only recently applied for the state record honor.

He caught the false albacore while fishing on the charter boat Beagle at the Big Rock off Morehead City.

The fish weighed 32 pounds and measured 39.75 inches curved fork length (CFL) with a girth of 24.25 inches.

The former state record for false albacore was 25 pounds, 8 ounces. The world record for false albacore is 36 pounds. That fish was caught off New Jersey in 2006.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

Washington State Record Pacific Bluefin Tuna

A new state record has been set for Pacific bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Washington, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Sam Ellinger of Ellensburg caught the record-setting tuna 28 miles offshore southwest of Grays Harbor, while bait fishing with anchovies.

The tuna weighed 39.20 pounds and measured 41 inches in length. Ellinger's fish exceeded the previous record Pacific bluefin tuna weight by 2.71 pounds.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

2013 USA Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Landings

NOAA Fisheries recently released its final landings numbers for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna As of December 31, 2013.

U.S. fishermen landed a total of 5518 Atlantic bluefin tuna, weighing 518.3 metric tons (mt).

The following is a summary by category:

General        1801
Harpoon        121
Longline    299
Trap        0
Purse Seine    192
Angling        3105
Reserve        0

Dead discards totaled 205.8 mt. The United States accounts for dead discards annually in the quota specifications and reports them to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

According to NOAA Fisheries, the final 2012 dead discards estimate (205.8 mt) was used because 2013 dead discard estimates are not yet available.

The final 2013 Atlantic bluefin tuna specifications (78 FR 36685, June 19, 2013) adjusted the 2013 base quota and subquotas to account for 2012 underharvest and accounted for half of the estimated dead discards at the beginning of the year, with the remainder to be accounted for at year-end.

For more information, visit:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hmsdocument_files/Tuna.htm

source: NOAA Fisheries

USA Pacific Bluefin Tuna Catches

The U.S. catch of Pacific bluefin tuna in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) represents a relatively minor component of Pacific bluefin tuna landings within the area, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Landings receipts of U.S. commercial vessels fishing in the EPO from 2007 to 2011 indicate that Pacific bluefin tuna catches  represent only two percent of the average annual landings for all fleets fishing in the EPO during the period. The average annual U.S. catch of Pacific bluefin tuna was 113 metric tons for 1999 through 2012.

Most of the landings are made by small coastal purse seine vessels operating in the Southern California Bight with limited additional landings made by the drift gillnet fleet that targets swordfish and thresher shark. Small numbers of Pacific bluefin tuna are also caught by surface hook and line and longline gear.

The number of purse seine vessels that have landed tuna in California averaged 197 annually from 1981 through 1990. However, from 2000 to 2013, six small purse seiners have been registered with the IATTC to target Pacific bluefin tuna in the Convention Area each year.

source: National Marine Fisheries Service

Bluefin Tuna Tag Recoveries

Captain Al Anderson, a charter boat captain out of Point Judith, Rhode Island, participates in the NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Tagging Program. One Capt. Anderson's tagged bluefin tuna was recently recaptured after 16 years.

That bluefin weighed a mere 14 pounds when Anderson caught it in the Mudhole east/southeast of Block Island in 1997. When a Nova Scotia fisherman recaptured it late last year, it weighed more than 1,200 pounds.

Anderson started tagging 45 years ago when he was a graduate student in fisheries biology at the University of Rhode Island.

Bluefin tuna that Anderson tagged have been recaptured off the coasts of Turkey and France. Anderson once recaptured a bluefin off Rhode Island that had been tagged ten days earlier near New Orleans, at least 1,600 miles away.

Over the years, Anderson and his charter clients have tagged tens of thousands of striped bass, almost five thousand bluefin, and 1500 sharks.

NOAA provides fishermen with tags to put on fish they catch and release, including highly migratory species like tunas, sailfish, and marlin. After tagging a fish, they send the tag number to NOAA Fisheries, along with date, location, length and weight.

If the fish is recaptured, the fisherman can read the number and call it in. That allows scientists to track migration patterns and estimate growth and mortality rates for these species.

Conventional tags provide snapshots of data when the fish is tagged and again when it’s recaptured. For a more detailed picture, scientists also deploy PSATs— pop-up satellite archival tags.

Pop-up satellite archival tags provide a huge amount of data on habitat preference, movement, and diving behavior, but because they’re costly there’s only so many of them.

Conventional tags provide less data per tag, but fishermen with the Cooperative Tagging Program have put them on roughly 270,000 fish of almost 80 different species since the program began in 1954.

More Information

Fishermen and tournament operators can get free tags and tagging kits by contacting NOAA’s Cooperative Tagging Center: http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/species/fish/tagging.htm

source: NOAA Fisheries

2013 HMS SAFE Report

NOAA Fisheries recently released its 2013 HMS Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report. The report includes a review of the current status of Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) stocks (tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks), describes the year's accomplishments in managing Atlantic HMS fisheries, and provides an assessment of short-term future management of Atlantic HMS fisheries.

The annual SAFE Report is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The 2013 HMS SAFE Report is available on the HMS Management Division website at:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hmsdocument_files/SAFEreports.htm.

source:  NOAA Fisheries

HMS Compliance Guides

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has released updated versions of Commercial and Recreational Compliance Guides for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks.

Thee guides have been updated based on recent regulatory changes made via Final Amendment 8 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan on Commercial Swordfish Management Measures and a final rule modifying Vessel Monitoring System requirements.

NMFS Commercial and Recreational Compliance Guides are intended to provide a plain-language summary of how to comply with the HMS regulations and can be found at:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Compliance_Guide/index.htm

source: NOAA Fisheries

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel Meeting

NMFS plans to hold an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel Meeting on September 9-12, 2013, at the Sheraton Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

The intent of this meeting is to consider alternatives for the conservation and management of Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks.

For more information, visit: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Advisory%20Panels/Advisory_Panel.htm

source: NOAA Fisheries

2012 North Carolina Recreational Fish Landings

North Carolina recreational anglers harvested an estimated 12 million pounds of finfish (8.1 million fish) in 2012, a 9 percent decrease from 2011. During the same period, anglers released an estimated 18.5 million fish, according to the North Carolina Coastal Angling Program.

Dolphinfish topped of the list of recreationally harvested fish. Anglers harvested 2.6 million pounds of dolphinfish (327,042 fish) in 2012, a 27.8 percent decrease from 2011.

Yellowfin tuna took the No. 2 spot with landings of 1.6 million pounds (57,085 fish), followed by bluefish at 1 million pounds (888,852 fish), wahoo at 854,361 million pounds (30,877 fish) and spotted seatrout at 817,445 pounds (500,518 fish).

The number of spotted seatrout landed in 2012 was 131 percent higher than in 2011, possibly due to a mild winter that did not cause any cold stun events and provided for a winter fishing season that extended well into the spring.

The number of red drum releases hit 1.5 million in 2012, three times higher than the highest ever seen in North Carolina. Additional data from N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries monitoring programs that have noted record numbers of juvenile red drum over the past several years.

While the number of recreational fishing trips increased by 11.9 percent to 5.3 million in 2012, recreational fishing effort is still well below the nearly 7 million fishing trips made in 2008, prior to the nation’s economic downturn.

For-hire fishing trips have fallen from a high of 300,000 in 1996 to 140,648 in 2012.

For a full landings report, visit http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/marine-fisheries-catch-statistics

source: N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Regulations

The National Marine Fisheries Service is taking two actions regarding the recreational Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery:

(1) closure of the southern area trophy BFT fishery (73" or greater) effective 11:30 p.m. local time, Thursday, April 4, through the remainder of 2013; and

(2) adjustment of the daily retention limit that applies to the HMS Charter/Headboat category (when fishing recreationally), effective April 4, 2013, from 1 fish measuring 27 to <73" to:

1 school BFT (27 to <47”) and 1 large school/small medium BFT (47 to <73”) per vessel.

The recreational daily retention limit that applies to HMS Angling category vessels remains at the default level of 1 school, large school, or small medium BFT (27 to <73”) per vessel.

For more information, visit the NOAA HMS website at:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breaking_news.htm

source: NOAA HMS News

New 2012 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Regulations

The National Marine Fisheries Service recently announced that it is adjusting the General category Atlantic bluefin tuna daily retention limit to three large medium or giant (73 inches or greater curved fork length) bluefin tuna effective June 1-August 31, 2012.

The new limit applies to vessels permitted in the Atlantic tunas General category as well as vessels permitted in the HMS Charter/Headboat category while fishing commercially.

source: NMFS

USA ICCAT Advisory Committee Meeting

The Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) announces its annual spring meeting on May 1-2, 2012.

The Committee will meet with its Technical Advisors to discuss matters relating to ICCAT, including the 2011 Commission meeting results; research and management activities; global and domestic initiatives related to ICCAT; the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act-required report on any identification of countries that are diminishing the effectiveness of ICCAT; the results of meetings of the Committee's Species Working Groups; and other matters relating to the international management of ICCAT species.

The meeting will be held at the Hilton Hotel, 8727 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Open sessions of the Committee meeting will be held on May 1, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and May 2, 2012, 9 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Closed sessions will be held on May 1, 2012, 3:15 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on May 2, 2012, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

source: NOAA FishNews

2012 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quotas - Regulations

On March 16, 2012, NOAA Fisheries proposed 2012 quota specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery. Two public hearings have been scheduled for the proposed 2012 bluefin tuna quota specifications.

The dates and locations of the public hearings are as follows:

April 4, 2012, 2 to 4 p.m. - NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930

April 10, 2012, 2:30 to 4 p.m. - NMFS Science Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Comments are due April 16, 2012.



The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced that the agency is taking two actions regarding the recreational Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery:

A closure of the southern area trophy BFT fishery (73" or greater) will be in effect for the remainder of 2012

There will also be an adjustment of the daily retention limit that applies to the HMS Charter/Headboat category (when fishing recreationally) to:

1 school BFT (27 to <47”) and 1 large school/small medium BFT (47 to <73”) per vessel.

The recreational daily retention limit that applies to HMS Angling category vessels remains at the default level of 1 school,large school, or small medium BFT (27 to <73”) per vessel.

According to NMFS, the actions will go in effective on April 7, 2012.

For more information on the actions, visit:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breaking_news.htm



sources: National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA FishNews

Atlantic HMS Advisory Panel Meeting

NOAA Fisheries will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel meeting March 13 through March 15, 2012. During the event, options will be considered for the conservation and management of Atlantic highly migratory species. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Source:  NOAA fisheries

USA Bluefin Tuna Fishing Quotas

In June, NOAA announced quotas and other measures for American bluefin tuna fisheries. The allocations divide the available 2011 U.S. bluefin tuna quota of 957 metric tons among commercial and recreational fishing sectors for the fishing season that began on June 1.

In addition, NOAA’s Fisheries Service announced it would begin a review of domestic bluefin tuna management to address allocation issues, discards of dead bluefin tuna and the best ways to reduce unintended catch of bluefin tuna.

 The total U.S. quota was set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in November, the international body made up of 47 nations and the European Union that manages this highly migratory species.

The General category, which includes commercial fishermen who use rod and reel, will receive 435 metric tons, nearly half the 2011 U.S. quota. Allocations for the other categories are as follows: Angling category (which includes recreational fishermen),  182 metric tons; purse seine fishermen, 171.8 metric tons; longline fishermen, 61 metric tons; harpoon fishermen, 36 metric tons; trap fishermen, 0.9 metric tons; and a reserve of 70.6 metric tons. The reserve is set aside for scientific research and to account for landings and dead discards.

The allocations account for potential discards of unintentionally caught bluefin tuna. Bluefin tuna are primarily discarded by longline fishermen who are targeting swordfish and other tunas. Although fishermen attempt to release fish alive, many discarded fish do not survive. The longline fishery was the only sector to receive reductions in its base quota to account for dead discards in advance of them actually being caught. Data from the 2010 fishing season was used to estimate the discard amount.

After extensive scientific review, NOAA announced on May 27 that the Atlantic bluefin tuna currently do not warrant species protection under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA also committed to revisit the decision by early 2013, when more scientific information will be available. NOAA has also formally designated Atlantic bluefin tuna as a “species of concern” under the Endangered Species Act, placing the species on a watchlist for concerns about its status and threats to the species.

For more information on bluefin tuna go to:http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2011/05/bluefin_tuna.html

source: NOAA press release

North Carolina State Record Blackfin Tuna Caught

A new North Carolina state record has been set for blackfin tuna with a 40 pound, 11 ounce fish caught off Wrightsville Beach in May, 2011.

Michael C. Accattato caught the fish May 10, breaking the former state record of 40 pounds, caught off Oregon Inlet in 2007. The fish measured 39 inches total length and 29.5 inches around the girth.

 Accattato used a Synit Pe3 Shimano Stella 8000 SW rod and reel with a Williamson Jet popper lure on 70-pound test line. He was fishing with Capt. Richard Crosson, Jr. of Living Waters Guide Service in Wilmington, NC..

 The world record blackfin tuna weighed 49 pounds, 6 ounces and was caught off Marathon, Fla. in 2006.

source: N.C. D.M.F.

Angler Sets New North Carolina State Record for Giant Bluefin Tuna

An angler has set a new North Carolina state record for Atlantic bluefin tuna by catching an 805 pound, 8 ounce fish off Oregon Inlet.

Corey Schultz, an angler from the Commonwealth of Virginia caught the fish on March 12, 2011 while fishing aboard the Sea Breeze out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. The record fish measured 112 inches curved fork length and had a 76-inch girth.

Schultz caught the fish on a Shimano 80 rod and reel using 130 line test with ballyhoo for bait. According to the angler, the battle lasted for about 2 1/2 hours.

The previous North Carolina state record bluefin tuna weighed in at 744 pounds and was caught off Oregon Inlet in 1995.

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) record bluefin weighed 1,496 pounds and was near Nova Scotia, Canada in 1979.

source: North Carolina Department of Marine Fisheries

NOAA Catch and Release Guidelines for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species

NOAA Fisheries Service has developed a brochure that offers guidelines on how to increase the survival of  hook-and-line caught, large pelagic species.

The objectives of careful catch and release include reducing stress and minimizing injury to a fish caught on hook-and-line, and assisting in its recovery prior to release.  These objectives are especially challenging for large highly migratory species such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks, because of the size and potentially dangerous features (e.g., teeth and swords) of these species.

The brochure provides guidelines for careful catch and release in four topic areas: planning ahead, gear, play and handling, and release and revival.

 The information in this brochure will assist anglers in following NOAA Fisheries regulations, which require that any Atlantic highly migratory species that is caught and released, be released in a manner that maximizes its probability of survival.  The survival of a released fish today will help lead to healthy stocks for future harvest.

To obtain the document, visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ and click on the brochure to download it, or call 301-713-2347.

Hypoxic Zones Could Affect Billfish and Tuna

Billfish and tuna, important commercial and recreational fish species, may be more vulnerable to fishing pressure because of shrinking habitat according to a new study published by scientists from NOAA, the Billfish Foundation, and the University of Miami.

An expanding zone of low oxygen, known as a hypoxic zone, in the Atlantic Ocean is encroaching on these species' preferred oxygen-abundant habitat, forcing them into shallower waters where they are more likely to be caught. According to the study, higher catch rates from these areas could give the false appearance of more abundant fish stocks.

While hypoxic zones occur naturally in many areas of the world’s tropical and equatorial oceans, scientists are concerned because these zones are expanding and occurring closer to the sea surface, and are expected to continue to grow as sea temperatures rise.

source: NOAA Fish News