Where the tuna swim? Tracking tuna by satellite

Tracking map reveals tuna movements in the Coral Triangle region 

May 2013. Data from pop-up satellite tags attached to adult yellowfin tuna show movements of this commercially-valuable species around Coral Triangle waters. 

The movements of four mighty swimmers named Amihan, Badjao, Hagibis, and Buhawi, can now be followed via aspecies tracking map, that shows in color-coded coordinates, how far the fish have swam since being tagged off the western seaboard of Mindoro Occidental in the Philippines. 

Large distances covered

"The data we have gathered so far reveal that tuna movements cover an impressive amount of nautical miles a day, travelling back and forth in a general north-south direction from where they were caught and released," says Dr. Jose Ingles, Tuna Strategy Leader of the WWF Coral Triangle Programme. 

"While still preliminary, the results signify that to properly manage this yellowfin tuna stock, we need to consider similar or complimentary conservation measures along the geographic area of its movements." 

WWF, in collaboration with the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), is conducting a tuna tagging project in Philippine waters to gather more data on the movements of yellowfin tuna. 

Identify spawning zones

"Through this activity, we hope to identify key spawning, feeding, and nursery grounds of this much sought-after species and make a case for governments to protect these sites," adds Dr. Ingles. 

Continued: http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/yellowfin-tuna-migration.html

Iconic reef fish in danger of local extinctions due to overfishing

Latest IUCN Red List assessment finds parrotfish and surgeonfish facing heightened risk of localized extinction

July 2012. A recent study conducted for The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM found that 86% of the populations of parrotfish and surgeonfish face a low risk of extinction globally, but they do face a heightened risk of extinction regionally-especially in areas like the Coral Triangle.

Of the species considered threatened, the Greenback Parrotfish (Scarus trispinosus) listed as Endangered, and the Bumphead Parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum), listed as Vulnerable, are both large-bodied, long-lived species that are experiencing significant population declines from intense fishing pressure. The Kapingamarangi Surgeonfish (Acanthurus chronixis), provisionally listed as Vulnerable, is only found in the Kapingamarangi Atoll, Caroline Islands, and is also exploited by subsistence fishers.

Globally safe 
"The good news is that globally these iconic reef fishes are doing well, despite the fact that they are facing intense fishing pressure and destruction of their coral reef habitat," says Mia Theresa Comeros, the study's lead author and Research Associate, IUCN Global Species Programme Marine Biodiversity Unit. "We need to be concerned, however, for the large-bodied groups of these fishes that perform important ecological roles on coral reef systems and highlight the importance of regional assessments in quantifying local threats to populations." 

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/parrot-fish-endangered.html