PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 25, 2025
Bluefin tuna is one of the Gulf of Maine’s most prized resources, coveted by chefs and savvy home cooks for its superior flavor, high fat content and culinary versatility. Because it’s the most prized of the tuna species, bluefin is more expensive than yellowfin or bigeye. Demand for Gulf of Maine bluefin tuna has been growing. And local bluefin experts and sustainability authorities want you to know there are more than enough bluefin to meet that demand. In the late 1990s, Western Atlantic bluefin tuna stock assessments showed that the fishery was down as much as 90 percent from its numbers in 1970; Eastern Atlantic bluefin harvested off the Mediterranean were suffering as well. There was talk at the time of listing bluefin as an endangered species. A 20-year rebuilding plan enacted in 1998 by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas helped bolster bluefin stock on both sides of the Atlantic.