The North Atlantic Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) stock is assessed every three years according to updated model specifications and data inputs, the latest update was in 2023 and prior in 2020 (ICCAT 2023). Albacore is a highly migratory species. In the Summer, the albacore migrates to the Bay of Biscay. Albacore are temperate tuna that can grow to be around 1.4 meters long and weigh up to 60 kilograms. There may be intermingling between immature fish from the Indian and Atlantic Oceans (ICCAT 2012).

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is the managing body which oversees the Albacore resource and monitors Albacore stocks, and member countries within the EU implement regulations (ICCAT 2024). For assessment purposes, ICCAT assumes three different albacore populations in the Atlantic Ocean, the North Atlantic stock, the South Atlantic stock and the Mediterranean stock (FAO n.d.).