Potential Western Atlantic spawning area found for Atlantic bluefin tuna
Scientists from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) and the University of Massachusetts Boston have found evidence of Atlantic bluefin tuna spawning activity off the northeastern United States in an area of open ocean south of New England and east of the Mid-Atlantic states called the Slope Sea. The findings, to be published March 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that the current life-history model for western Atlantic bluefin, which assumes spawning occurs only in the Gulf of Mexico, overestimates age-at-maturity. For that reason, the authors conclude that western Atlantic bluefin may be less vulnerable to fishing and other stressors than previously thought. Read the rest here 20:18
The
seiners worked that area 40 years ago. NMFS/NOAA are being
misleading/lying here. The catch records show millions of YOY (young of
the year) were harvested along the 100 fathom edge along the
Carolinas.They stopped chasing the yoy when they switched to the Giant
ABT (approx. 1976> NMFS is using the old ploy “if you can not dazzle
them with brilliance you can try to baffle the with bulls>>>” If NMFS
says “it”(anything) is it isnt and visa versa and if NMFS gets anything
correct its by mistake-for twenty years recruitment was not factored in
to stock assessments- confirmed by Dr. Sissinwine @NOAA/Woods Hole to me Chip Bourget))
Also–the Japanese long liners worked the 100 fathom edge for decades targeting Giant ABT (Carolina’s)- NMFS is a spin master and can not be trusted with the responsibility of managing fisheries. After all NMFS is a part of the Commerce Department aka Department of $$$$.. No conflict there right??!!))) 40 years of experience shown me the light))