Bluefin Tuna
About a Bluefin tuna By:Jojo Lewis
The characteristics of a Bluefin Tuna
this species is present throughout the Indo- Pacific. It is a temperate species that also extends into tropical waters. This species is found in New Zealand and French Polynesia.This species has been intensively fished since the 1950s, primarily being taken on longlines, and the dramatic decline in the total population of Southern Bluefin Tuna to 7–15% of the 1960 parental biomass is well documented (FSC 2009).
The Population
Worldwide reported landings show a gradual, but variable, increase from 13,552 tonnes in 1952 to a high of 55,200 tonnes in 1969, and then gradually decreasing, to 12,122 tonnes in 1991. Catches from 1992 to 2006 have been relatively stable, averaging around 16,0000 tonnes per year (FAO 2009). This species is farmed in Australia, where mostly immature fish (age 2–4 years) are removed from the wild and fattened in farms. This complicates estimation of catches and is associated with high mortality rates of fish during transport.