Transoceanic migration rates of young North Pacific albacore, Thunnus alalunga, from conventional tagging data

Abstract

This study summarizes US and Japanese historical North Pacific albacore ( Thunnus alalunga) tagging data and uses maximum likelihood methods to estimate seasonal migration rates of young North Pacific albacore. Previous studies related to North Pacific albacore migration have found that the frequency of albacore migrations is difficult to quantify because of inadequate amounts of tags released by the US tagging program in the western Pacific. Use of the combined Japan and US tagging data solves this problem. This study also incorporates specific seasonal migration routes, hypothesized in past qualitative analyses, to avoid overparameterization problems. The estimated migration patterns qualitatively correspond to those from previous studies and suggest the possibility of frequent westward movements and infrequent eastward movements in the North Pacific. This frequent westward movement of young albacore in the North Pacific would correspond to a part of albacore life history in which immature fish recruit into fisheries in the western and eastern Pacific and then gradually move near to their spawning grounds in the central and western Pacific before maturing.