Anglers land 26 tonnes of Bluefin tuna as season closes

Anglers caught 26 tonnes of Atlantic Bluefin tuna by the close of the season, marking the second year the season has not closed prematurely.

In previous years, the full quota has been caught before the official end of the season but this year, in common with 2024, the tuna season closed in mid-October with anglers catching the quota by closing day.

The Government told the Chronicle this is likely due to tuna migration patterns, meaning that there are fewer tuna in the Strait in the second half of the season.

“Atlantic Bluefin tuna are highly migratory,” the spokesman said.

“This species moves between feeding grounds in the Atlantic Ocean and spawning grounds in the Mediterranean Sea.”

“Between April and July, large numbers enter the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar to spawn in warm waters. After spawning in late summer to early autumn, they exit the Mediterranean, moving back into the open Atlantic to feed in cooler, nutrient-rich waters.”

“By October, most of these tunas have already left the Strait region, therefore fewer are passing through, leading to a sharp decline in catches.”

“Sea temperatures drop and currents shift in autumn, influencing tuna movement and prey availability.”

“Bluefin prefer warmer surface waters for spawning and migration [but] as these cool, they move to deeper or different areas, reducing their accessibility to traditional fisheries near the Strait.”

“Year to year there are several variables which will affect the total amount of catches.”

The spokesman added that the Government does not plan to change season timings to match migratory patterns.

“Government will assess this in consultation with the Fishing Working Group and work on its management for the 2026 season in early 2026,” the spokesman said.

“This being said, it is unlikely that there will be a change to the general open season timings.”

This year the quota was increased by one tonne compared to last year, raising concern from environmental groups over regulations and conservation.

During the season this summer, environmental groups highlighted their belief that Gibraltar’s quota was out of proportion to the community’s size and that more needed to be done to monitor the sale of catches.

Anglers have opposed this view and previously urged the Government to consider providing Gibraltar with a commercial quota.

This season, a total of 77 fishermen caught 173 tunas, landing a total of 26,318kg.

The largest tuna landed this year weighed 334kg and its fork length measured 275 cm.

The highest total amount in weight caught by one angler during the 2025 open season was 1,212kg.