Tagging and recapture activities carried out by the Spanish Confederation of Responsible Recreational fishing (ceprr) with the Scientific Coordination of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) in the Mediterranean (2008-2011)

Abstract

During the 2008-2011 period, 1548 specimens of tuna and tuna-like species were tagged by the Spanish Confederation of Responsible Recreational Fishing (CEPRR) with the scientific coordination of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO). Of these, 1031 bluefin tuna were tagged with conventional tags, whereas 10 other specimens of the same species were tagged with pop-up satellite electronic tags in the Mediterranean. Five pop-up electronic tags remained on the adult specimens up to 110 days. In this period, the specimens stayed in the tagging area except for one of them, which reached Algerian waters in the winter. Similarly, 333 long-finned tuna and up to 184 specimens belonging to other species such as swordfish, little tunny, bonito, frigate tuna and spearfish, were also tagged. Eight bluefin tuna were recaptured, including one adult tuna which was found in the same area where it was tagged (Balearic Islands) 1343 days after release. A juvenile tuna tagged in the Mediterranean was recaptured more than two years after release in the Cantabrian Sea. Over the 2008-2011 period, the IEO provided a number of training courses on conventional and electronic tagging techniques at the different ports where tournaments and/or tagging and release campaigns were carried out. This promoted participation of the CEPRR in the tagging design of the GBYP-ICCAT Atlantic-wide Research Programme on Bluefin Tuna, as well as strategic and scientific interest.Postprin