AZTI wins key contract in ICCAT’s Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging Programme (AOTTP)

• During ICCAT/AOTTP a total of 120,000 Skipjack, Yellowfin and Bigeye tuna will be tagged across the tropical Atlantic.
• The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) is implementing the Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging Programme (AOTTP) funded by the European Union and other ICCAT Contracting Parties.
• Within the context of a Large Tagging Programme of Tropical Tuna in the Atlantic (AOTTP) AZTI has been awarded a contract with ICCAT for tagging a total of 44,000 skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna.
• An International Consortium led by AZTI has been selected by ICCAT to coordinate tagging activities at sea among six research centres based in Europe and Africa.
• The first phase tagging campaign will start in June in the Azores and cover a large part of the tropical eastern Atlantic area.
• The tag-recapture data gathered will be used to enhance scientific understanding of the biology (migrations, growth, mortality) of tropical tuna species and consequently to provide management and conservation advice across the Atlantic Ocean.

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