The Bluefin Tuna Fishery in the Bay of Biscay Its Relationship with the Crisis of Catches of Large Specimens in the East Atlantic Fisheries from the 1960s

This open access book is an original contribution to the knowledge on fishing and research associated with one of the most enigmatic fish of our seas: bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L.). Based on available evidence, it reconstructs the possible methods used to catch large spawners in the Strait of Gibraltar thousands of years ago and describes the much more recent overfishing that led to a great reduction in the catches of the trap fishery on the area and the disappearance of the northern European fisheries. It is the first book to relate the overfishing of juvenile fishes in certain areas to the decline of large spawners in other very distant areas, revealing one of the main underlying causes of this decline, which has remained a mystery to the fishing sector and scientists alike for over 50 years. This finding should serve to prevent similar cases from arising in the future.

Introduction.- Some characteristics of the bluefin tuna its geographical distribution, areas and fishing systems.- The bluefin tuna catch in the strait of gibraltar, a review of its history.- the present state of traps and fisheries research in the strait of gibraltar.- Bluefin tuna fishing in the bay of biscay.- Research related to bluefin tuna fishing in the bay of biscay.- A publication that sheds light on the disappearance of the eastern atlantic bluefin tuna spawner in the 1960s. 

Doctor in Biology. Since 1973 he has been a researcher at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO). He has worked in the biology and dynamics of the populations of small and large pelagic fish of the Atlantic Ocean, and tropical tunas of the Indian Ocean. He chaired the scientific committee of the ICCAT (SCRS); worked in FAO Fisheries Department; and was Director of the Santander Coastal Centre of IEO. He has published articles and documentaries on biology, fisheries and population dynamics of exploited species, mainly tuna.

Pablo Abaunza

Doctor in Biology. Since 1990 he has been a researcher at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), working on fishery biology of pelagic fishes. He is an expert member of several Working Groups on fish stock assessment mainly in ICES. He has worked in different positions of responsibility as Director of the Santander Coastal Centre of IEO, head of the Fisheries Department at IEO and recentlyas Deputy Director of IEO. He is co-author of several publications in specialized journals.