Comparison of the recent and historical information on the size composition of Bluefin tuna (Tthunnus thynnus) in the Adriatic obtained by purse seine fisheries

Historical and recent size composition of bluefin tune caught in the Adriatic Sea by the purse seine were analised and compared. Among the fish being captured, the domination of juveniles was noticed in both periods analysed. Among them, two-year-old specimens of bluefin tuna were the most abundant. The findings presented in this paper confirm that the minimum size regulations under ICCAT (Rec. 08-05) are well defined for purse seine fisheries targeting bluefin tuna for subsequent farming in the Adriatic Sea.