Tuna & oil don't mix

[Keelboater]

Crude oil causes developmental abnormalities in large marine fish - WorkBoat.com

 

[petrel]

I'm sure I wasn't the only one, but one of my first thoughts when I heard about that spill was the impact on spawning bluefins and the possible implications for the fishery. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Fishinengineer]

I transited that area probably 15 times during the spill. We were going into Mobile Alabama and most times had to go around a spill zone. They used some heavy duty emulsifiers down there, we never once saw a slick on the surface. You can bet between the chemicals used in the emulsifiers plus the crude oil those fish were affected. It was OK for there but if the CG see's a bottle of JOY sitting on our boats they break our chops.

 

[F/V Bad Influence]

One of the GOOD things I learned at Dr. Molly's talk last thursday. was that they have FOUND bluefin lavie in waters OUTSIDE of gulf area. She has proposed this for years against what Washington DC wants

Tommy

 

[petrel]

That's good that she has documented it. Why else would there be giants out in the Gulf Stream in mid winter, but convincing NMFS of anything is always an uphill battle. I'd also bet they probably also spawn at a smaller size than was thought for many years. I'm sure someone can find a citation for it, but I remember reading somewhere that it is thought that the eastern Bluefins adapted to spawn at a much smaller size than western Atlantic fish b/c of intense fishing pressure for centuries.

 

[F/V Bad Influence]

Petrel you are 100% correct.