Please help with my college thesis regarding the ABFT

[seapower]

In my mind for the problem to be put soley on the US Eascoast Commercial fleet, you would also have to believe those fish stay in those water's. If that scenerio were true, then the same would have to work for billfish. We save them, while alot of the rest of the world eat's them. After being on both side's of this fence, I have alway's been fascinated how ignorant rec/com fisheries are about each other. Of course that doesn't stop finger pointing from both side's. Just my opinion, Frank

[Bluewater Sportfishing]

Interesting survey - But I think it is missing a major cause of depletion for ABFT - The overfishing of Bait species... Especially Menhaden

Also no mention of Mediterranean BFT fisheries catching 2 - 3 x their agreed Quotas...

that prety much sums it up. One of the biggest problems is the Bluefins food. we have wiped out the herring, whiting, and bunker, its geting rebuilt but for the time being the Bluefin need to look elsewhere for food. There are fish here, as a matter of fact nmfs has said the stocks here are looking good. on a side note we wont know what effect the deepwater horizion oil spill will have on the tuna for a while. Back to the forage issue. Once that is resolved you will see alot more bluefin in more traditional spots all along the east coast. The fish are out there just not in the spots we are used to seeing them. fishing the point last spring of off nags head we would see thousands of fish all day long surfing down sea in the waves.. If I were writing what you are I would focus on the forage issue, the overfishing in the med issue and long line by catch during the winter months along the east coast.