Short-term behavioural responses of Atlantic bluefin tuna to catch-and-release fishing.

ABSTRACT: Catch-and-release (C&R) angling is often touted as a sustainable form of ecotourism, yet the fine-scale behaviour and physiological responses of released fish is often unknown, especially for hard-to-study large pelagic species like Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT; Thunnus thunnus). Multi-channel sensors were deployed and recovered from 10 ABFTs in a simulated recreational C&R event off the west coast of Ireland. Data were recorded from 6 to 25 hours, with one ABFT (tuna X) potentially suffering mortality minutes after release. Almost all ABFTs (n = 9, including tuna X) immediately and rapidly (vertical speeds of ~2.0 m s^-1) made powered descents and used 50-60% of the available water column within 20 seconds, before commencing near-horizontal swimming ~60 seconds post

SUBMITTER: Dolton HR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9487900 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature