The purpose of this technical document has been to synthesize available information on the biology and exploitation of tuna in the eastern central Atlantic.
Such a report is always difficult to produce because of the diversity of the species exploited, the complexity of the active fisheries, and the variety of research done by the scientific teams of numerous countries over a period of more than 30 years.
This document should, however, give non specialists a better appreciation of the essential knowledge acquired on the species and fisheries of the zone and provide tuna specialists with a large body of information on the biology and exploitation of tuna compiled into a single work.
Few zones in the world have been the object of studies as complete as those produced in this region, however, numerous gaps and uncertainties remain concerning certain species and fisheries and the response of certain stocks to exploitation by man.
This synthesis should help in specifying the domains of research to be developed in coordination with ICCAT. By assuring a better diffusion of results acquired in the region in the international scientific community, it should, moreover, facilitate the indispensable coordination of tuna research on a global scale.
