Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) attracted to Mediterranean coastal fish farms: insights from acoustic telemetry
2025
Hassine, Hamza
Mediterranean fish cage farms have recently seen a growing presence of wild Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT), a migratory species known to aggregate around floating structures. Although such aggregations have been reported before, they remain poorly understood. This study explores the behaviour and potential biological, fisheries, aquaculture, and environmental implications of ABFT presence near fish farms. Two tagging campaigns using conventional and acoustic transmitters were conducted in 2023 and 2024 around fish farms in Alicante coast. Despite technological failures, acoustic data confirmed detections of three tagged tuna. One individual moved among three nearby farms, while two others travelled between more distant sites approximately 27 km apart. Detections from external tagging projects revealed year-round ABFT presence, especially in summer and autumn, including long-distance movements of up to 200 km and extended residency near farms. These findings provide the first evidence of a farm-attraction effect and inter-farm connectivity, highlighting the need for further research.
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