New trophic insights associated with the return of a top predator, bluefin tuna, to Skagerrak and the Sound

This study examines the dietary composition of the recently reoccurring Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT, Thunnus thynnus) in the Skagerrak-Kattegat-Sound area of the North-East Atlantic. We analysed the stomach contents of 44 ABFT, with lengths between 232 and 295 cm (CFL), captured in August and September annually from 2020 to 2022 via rod-and-reel fishing. Our analysis identified 19 species of teleost fish, four types of squid, and one crab species, although the diet was dominated by pelagic schooling fish such as garfish (percentage of index of relative abundance (%IRI) = 22.5), herring (%IRI = 6.8), mackerel (%IRI = 6.8), and various demersal gadoid species (combined %IRI = 42). Regional variation in dietary composition between Skagerrak and the Sound indicates that ABFT exhibit foraging flexibility, primarily targeting locally abundant, energy-rich schooling fish, while occasionally consuming other prey. The prevalence of garfish in the diet, which is neither commercially targeted nor managed or regulated, highlights the importance of maintaining healthy stocks of this species for supporting the continuous return of ABFT to the area.