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.

2015 North Carolina Recreational Saltwater Fishing Statistics

According to recent statistics from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NC DMF), recreational saltwater catches increased in 2015. 

Anglers in North Carolina brought an estimated 10.2 million fish to the docks in 2015, an increase of 6.8 percent over 2014. The estimated weight of these landings rose by 32 percent to 11.6 million pounds. Anglers released 6 percent more fish, compared to 2014.

In terms of pounds landed dockside, the top five recreational species for 2015 were dolphin, bluefish, yellowfin tuna, cobia and wahoo.

The number of dolphin taken increased by 132 percent over the previous year to 430,296 fish (3.2 million pounds), the highest since 2011.

Anglers landed 19,284 wahoo weighing 534,787 pounds, a 66 percent increase.

Cobia harvests totaled 15,875 fish weighing 675,859 pounds, the highest since 2013. The average weight of the cobia nearly doubled from 2014.

Anglers brought 10.7 percent fewer yellowfin tuna to the docks; 24,205 fish weighing approximately 723,127 pounds.

NC DMF speculates that dolphin, wahoo and cobia harvests may have increased as a result of an absence of yellowfin tuna.

Recreational harvests of bluefish decreased by 16 percent to 911,983 fish (769,262 pounds).

Spotted seatrout harvests for 2015 were estimated to be the lowest on record. The low catches follow back to back cold stuns in 2013 and 2014.

NC DMF closed spotted seatrout harvest Feb. 5 to June 15 in 2014 to allow the fish that survive the cold stun event the maximum chance to spawn in the spring.

Another possible factor may have been the abnormal amount of rainfall in eastern North Carolina in the fall and winter of 2015 that flushed the creeks with freshwater, causing fish to move to higher salinities.

Despite low spotted seatrout harvests in 2015, estimates of recreational released catch (undersized) were at near record levels.

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

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

2013 North Carolina Recreational Fishing Statistics

Recreational fishermen in North Carolina landed approximately 11.6 million fish, weighing about 13.3 million pounds in 2013, a 10 percent increase in pounds over 2012, according to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries' Coastal Angling Program.

Yellowfin tuna was the number one recreationally-harvested fish for the 2013 fishing season. Anglers caught 2 million pounds of yellowfin tuna (62,110 fish) in 2013. Dolphin came in second with 2 million pounds (248,987 fish), followed by bluefish at 971,279 pounds (1.2 million fish), red drum, 682,964 pounds (166,608 fish) and spotted seatrout, 652,102 pounds (369,500).

The 2013 recreational red drum harvest of 682,964 pounds (166,608 fish) was the highest on record.

Recreational spot landings doubled to 462,884 pounds (1.5 million fish) in 2013.

Sheepshead harvest increased by 70 percent to 497,616 pounds (272,709 fish).

Southern flounder harvest increased 37 percent to 408,642 pounds (177,742 fish).

The number of fish angler’s released back into the water grew to about 21 million in 2013, about a 13 percent increase over 2012.

The number of recreational fishing trips in 2013 dropped by 6 percent to about 5 million. Anglers took about 28 percent fewer trips than 10 years ago.

For a full landings report, see the 2013 Annual Fisheries Bulletin at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/marine-fisheries-catch-statistics.

source: N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries

Louisiana Yellowfin Tuna Tagging Program

During the fall of 2011, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) plans to launch a Yellowfin Tuna Tagging Program for the Gulf of Mexico.

The program will promote a culture of catch, tag and release in the recreational fishing community while contributing to the scientific data necessary to further understand the behaviors of yellowfin tuna.

Tagging tuna can provide information about their movements, migrations, stock structure, growth, population size, mortality, schooling behavior and physiology.

According to data from NOAA, the size and number of yellowfin caught are decreasing, and the downward trend has been happening since 1999.

"The new tuna tagging program will provide baseline information for the population models used to assess the health of the stock of this valuable fishery," said LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina.

"It will also help clarify the evidence that yellowfin migratory patterns have been altered by the presence of offshore oil platforms."

LDWF plans to kick off the program with a tag-and-release tournament at Venice Marina on Saturday, September 24.

With the success of the 2011 redfish tournaments, the department added a Yellowfin Tuna Fall Shootout to their Louisiana Saltwater Series.

By encouraging live tag and release, the series has focused attention on the conservation of our marine resources.

This is the first tournament of its kind in the Gulf of Mexico, and there is a 100 percent payout for first, second and third place finishers. Payout is determined based upon the total number of boats entered. A $5,000 prize is up for grabs to the chartered boat with the most tagged yellowfin.

There is also a kill fish division, and the team with the largest tuna weighed will win an offshore tackle package valued at $3,000.

There is a $500 entry fee per boat for the tournament, with a maximum of eight anglers total on each team.

Additional information, including rules, regulations and entry forms will soon be available at www.lasaltwaterseries.com

What are Weak Circle Hooks?

Beginning May 5, 2011, NOAA’s Fisheries Service will require commercial fishermen who fish for yellowfin tuna, swordfish and other species with longlines in the Gulf of Mexico to use a new type of hook, called a weak hook.

The weak hook is a circular hook constructed of thin gauge wire, and is  designed to straighten when a large fish, such as bluefin tuna, is hooked, releasing it but holding on to smaller fish.

Although fishing for bluefin tuna in the Gulf has been closed since the early 1980s, bluefin are caught incidentally by longliners who are fishing for yellowfin tuna.

The average size of bluefin tuna landed in the Gulf of Mexico longline fishery is 485 pounds, while the average for yellowfin tuna is about 86 pounds.

"NOAA worked with longline fishermen from the Gulf to test the weak hook carefully over the last three years," said Eric Schwaab, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. "Our cooperative scientific research with fishermen is showing that this new technology can protect bluefin tuna in the Gulf while still allowing fishermen to target yellowfin tuna and swordfish."

source: NOAA