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Eastern Atlantic bluefin population rises in demand
The eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna population was being caught at very high rates in the 1960s and a reportedly 18,000 metric tons of eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna were caught in 1964 -
Eastern Atlantic bluefin population decreases
By the 1970s the eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna population had dropped 80% -
The demand for the western Atlantic bluefin tuna now begins to rise
By the 1990s the demand for western Atlantic bluefin tuna was in full swing and was becoming overfished. -
New fishing mandates put in place
By this point the eastern and western Atlantic bluefin tuna populations were struggling and the first legal attempt to slow the overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna began. -
New laws and mandates are set to no avail
Despite the new laws and mandates created in 1998 the Atlantic bluefin tuna continued to be overfished and it was apparent that the push to save the Atlantic bluefin tuna population needed to be stronger. -
The population continues to drop
In 2008 the ICCAT created an eastern Atlantic bluefin stock assessment that indicated that the population had dropped 60% since 1970 -
Western Atlantic bluefin tuna see no population increase either
Even stock assessments for the western bluefin tuna showed that the population is at only 36% of its already depleted 1970 level -
More mandates passed in 2010
More mandates were passed in 2010, despite this illegal fishing continued and Atlantic bluefin tuna were caught at nearly the same rate. -
Hope for population recovery
In 2012 a new stock assessment revealed that the Atlantic bluefin population had actually began to increase and indicated that the mandates that were being passed were a step in the right direction even if they seemed futile in conservation efforts. -
In 2013 a meeting is held by the ICCAT
This meeting was held to inform governments of the steps needed to be taken to ensure the Atlantic bluefin tuna population continued to increase. -
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Steady increase in population
Since the mandates passed in the early 2010s the Atlantic bluefin tuna population has see a steady increase as efforts to restore the population become stronger and more efficient.