Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (thunnus thynnus, linnaeus, 1758) Fishery in the Canary Islands

This document provides the first detailed description of the artisanal fishery of the Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Canary Islands, the most southerly fishery of this species in the eastern Atlantic. We analyze catches, seasonality, fishing strategy, characteristics of the fleet and catch size composition. We also examine the evolution of the catches, including the period of maximum catches in the 1970s and the subsequent slump, and analyze the situation of the fishery in relation to current management measures to recover the species.