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Tuna in Devon

Joe Winstanley said:
Wonderful camera work. And quite a sight to behold.

Can't help but feel sad about it though.
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Yeah I agree - what a magnificent sight but should they be on our coasts??
Assuming our skippers will sport fish and catch & release?
But the thought of one being hacked up to go in my butties really got me thinking
 
There's a trial sportfishing program for them thats been running for the last couple of years, (CHART) they're measured, tagged and released.
Participating boats have to be registered, and the crew are reqiured to do a course on best practice for catch and release. The Tuna aren't allowed to be removed from the water, and the only permitted method is trolling.
According to one Skipper I know, it's been a lifeline for his business, which would have gone under by now due to the deteriorating wreck fishing.
Limited commercial exploitation has been allowed for the first time this season, limited to 1000 tons, I believe, and again only by registered boats.

CatcH And Release Tag (CHART) Scientific Data Collection Programme for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (BFT) - Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science)

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
www.cefas.co.uk www.cefas.co.uk
 
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Mike Webb said:
Because some huge trawler will find them and take them?
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My thoughts were that the arrival of Bluefin tuna was down to the incremental warming of our seas caused by climate change, as is the case with so many other new arrivals. However having read up a bit further it seems that Bluefin were historically found in the UK seas, but that overfishing of their prey fish pushed them out in the 60's. So the presence of Bluefin now may reflect that the enforcement of fishing quotas is working for some fish stocks.

Let's hope they can evade the big commercial trawlers!
 
Ben Marr said:
There's a trial sportfishing program for them thats been running for the last couple of years, (CHART) they're measured, tagged and released.
Participating boats have to be registered, and the crew are reqiured to do a course on best practice for catch and release. The Tuna aren't allowed to be removed from the water, and the only permitted method is trolling.
According to one Skipper I know, it's been a lifeline for his business, which would have gone under by now due to the deteriorating wreck fishing.
Limited commercial exploitation has been allowed for the first time this season, limited to 1000 tons, I believe, and again only by registered boats.

CatcH And Release Tag (CHART) Scientific Data Collection Programme for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (BFT) - Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science)

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
www.cefas.co.uk www.cefas.co.uk
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Interesting Ben.

I imagine some seriously heavy duty kit is required. Even standard shark fishing kit wouldn't cut it for one of those bad boys!
 
Joe Winstanley said:
My thoughts were that the arrival of Bluefin tuna was down to the incremental warming of our seas caused by climate change, as is the case with so many other new arrivals. However having read up a bit further it seems that Bluefin were historically found in the UK seas, but that overfishing of their prey fish pushed them out in the 60's. So the presence of Bluefin now may reflect that the enforcement of fishing quotas is working for some fish stocks.

Let's hope they can evade the big commercial trawlers!
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Potentially… being slightly skeptical though, is it possible that the opposite is also possible. That dwindling fish stocks are causing them to travel greater ranges to less frequented and less desirable ranges to sustain themselves.
They have definitely been present down here in the southwest for a fair while now, even as a kid I remember being told “we do get them” just not common. I don’t know wether they are increasing in numbers or rather the secret is out. One was filmed a few weeks back jumping out the water round Old Harry.

It’s long been said we get White Sharks here as well although that’s never been confirmed and it’s been positively denied by tourism groups.
 
Joe Winstanley said:
My thoughts were that the arrival of Bluefin tuna was down to the incremental warming of our seas caused by climate change, as is the case with so many other new arrivals. However having read up a bit further it seems that Bluefin were historically found in the UK seas, but that overfishing of their prey fish pushed them out in the 60's. So the presence of Bluefin now may reflect that the enforcement of fishing quotas is working for some fish stocks.

Let's hope they can evade the big commercial trawlers!
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Yes that's right. As a kid I remember seeing huge 'tunny' on display in, I think, Powys castle (or similar) and reading up on it to learn that they were fished out of existence. I think it was also partly due to the collapse of the herring fisheries?
 
Stephen Crowhurst said:
Potentially… being slightly skeptical though, is it possible that the opposite is also possible. That dwindling fish stocks are causing them to travel greater ranges to less frequented and less desirable ranges to sustain themselves.
They have definitely been present down here in the southwest for a fair while now, even as a kid I remember being told “we do get them” just not common. I don’t know wether they are increasing in numbers or rather the secret is out. One was filmed a few weeks back jumping out the water round Old Harry.

It’s long been said we get White Sharks here as well although that’s never been confirmed and it’s been positively denied by tourism groups.
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It's only a matter of time before a GW is filmed taking a seal. Our sea temps are comparable with areas on the eastern seaboard of the US where they are present. It's no secret that they are present and probably breeding in the Med as well.
 
Mike Webb said:
It's only a matter of time before a GW is filmed taking a seal. Our sea temps are comparable with areas on the eastern seaboard of the US where they are present. It's no secret that they are present and probably breeding in the Med as well.
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Completely agree and ones they have tagged travel incredible distances.
 
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