# Tagged Yellowfin recaptured 11 years later



## whome (Oct 2, 2007)

*Tagged yellowfin recaptured after 11 years*

Staff report 
Sunday, January 1, 2012 














The recent reporting of the recovery of a tagged yellowfin tuna comes as a surprise to fisheries biologists. 
The tag, sent from the National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries in Shizuoka, Japan, was just received by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Marine Resources Division. 
The tagged fish measured about 68 inches, weighed approximately 189 pounds, and was captured on May 26, 2010 off the west coast of Africa off Mauritania. 
The fish was initially tagged by a volunteer angler participating in the Marine Division's game fish tagging program on April 20, 2001, just south of Cat Island in the Bahamas. At the time of tagging, the juvenile yellowfin was just shy of 15 pounds. 
This is the first recapture of a yellowfin tuna in the history of the program, which began in 1974. 
"What makes this recovery exciting," said Robert *******, a DNR fisheries biologist who administers the tagging program, "is that 151 yellowfin have been tagged and released by volunteers, but none have been recovered until now. 
This fish was at large for nine years, packed on about 174 pounds and was recaptured close to 4,000 miles from where it was initially tagged."
As evident from this tag recovery, Atlantic yellowfin tuna are a highly migratory species and thus are a target species for both domestic and international fisheries. This fact should be of interest to recreational anglers when considering the impacts on the overall population of such fisheries.


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## donedealin (Jan 3, 2008)

That's good stuff Jon. Very interesting!


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Almost 16lbs. per year is impressive.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

interesting, thanks


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Thats great info there and really gives you an idea of their growth rate. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of that growth was within the first 3 yrs.

Thanks for sharing


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## amarcafina (Aug 24, 2008)

Wow !! amazing the miles that put in .


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Man that is cool!!! Good find Jon!


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## Berry (Mar 8, 2011)

Amazing little swimmers, always surprised seeing the distances traveled by tagged animals


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## MULLET HUNTER (Oct 3, 2007)

Cool discovery..... Pal...


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## whome (Oct 2, 2007)

MULLET HUNTER said:


> Cool discovery..... Pal...


 
thanks.....friend


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## big blue (Jun 28, 2008)

Good read, thanks!


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## Gamefish27 (Nov 13, 2009)

If i was a fish i would be a ******* fish and stay away form the big city "oil rigs" and cruz in the deep blue sea. Just imagine how big the fish are where we do not fish


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

There is some truth to that statement. When it comes to big billfish, Loyds Ridge is the place to be when conditions are just right.


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## Bill Me (Oct 5, 2007)

Really highlights the challenge of fisheries management. When you cannot get the majority of 100 US Citizens in Washington to agree on basic domestic issues, how do you get unanimous international agreement on fisheries management. One country that says its ok to take all you want has the potential to deplete an international resource.


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## Circle Jerk (Jan 26, 2012)

Only 151 fish tagged in 38 years? That confirms it, tunas is good eatin!


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

Capt. Jon Pinney said:


> The tagged fish measured about 68 inches, weighed approximately 189 pounds, and was captured on May 26, 2010 off the west coast of Africa off Mauritania.
> The fish was initially tagged by a volunteer angler participating in the Marine Division's game fish tagging program on April 20, 2001, just south of Cat Island in the Bahamas. At the time of tagging, the juvenile yellowfin was just shy of 15 pounds.


Very interesting. This comes out to be a growth rate of about 21 pounds per year (after it was initially tagged). The biologists did a bunch of sampling with our tuna this past weekend and said there is very little return data on the fish that have been tagged (at least here in the gulf). The few that they have received indicated an average growth rate of about an inch a month. Using that data, that would indicate that a 189 pound fish would be roughly 5.5 years old. Obviously conflicting theories. Would love to see more information develop on the growth rate of these fish.


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## Xiphius (Oct 10, 2007)

Transoceanic travelers really cool to have a return after so long...It is speculated that those dart type tag portions that have the ID#s are shed due to the muscle growth,or go unnoticed due to encrusting algae, resons for low re-capture rates. I would say a 5 yr old is approaching 80lbs, the next 100lbs comes a little slower


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

The biologists around the marina last week were estimating that our fish (see my thread which has been derailed to clusterfuck and back; 75-110 pound fish) were 2.5-3.5 years old. Again, a lot of conflicting theories on the growth rate.


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## fishsticker (Jan 11, 2009)

i saw a show this week on discovery or somewhere that yellowfin can get to 200-300lbs in as little as 3 years. obviously it is region dependent based on availability of food etc..interesting story none the less


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Most fish grow the fastest in the first 3 yrs or so. After that, they can obviously grow much larger, but it takes a much longer time frame to achieve the same kind of growth.

A prime example is a Dolphin (Mahi Mahi). They can reach 40lbs in their first year. They live roughly 5 yrs or so and can attain a weight of roughly 100lbs or so. That means that close to 50% of their max weight and growth was the first year and I'm guessing around 25% or so in the 2nd. The only way to really get a true growth chart is to have more recaptures that lead to second and third releases, which will probably never happen.


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

Very cool...

I went to a lecture at UWF about Blue Fin Tuna thanks to Karon. They spawn off the Mississippi Delta, run south around the Keys then up the Gulf Stream then into the Mediterranean, then work their way back to spawn.

They can track it via the chemical make up of the otolith or ear bone.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/12/1209_021209_TVFishEarBones.html

Jim


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