It was only up until a few years ago I discovered that tuna are not the same size as sardines.
After an absence of many years Bluefin tuna are present and thriving again in UK waters, especially around the Cornish coast. For a long time, Bluefin tuna populations were in huge decline due to illegal fishing and overfishing. According to WWF, the population declines have been predominantly driven by the demand for this fish in the upmarket sushi business. It is a highly sought after delicacy for many across the world, costing huge amounts. Driven by such high prices, mass fishing of the tuna is what led to its rapid decline. Fishing provides income and livelihoods for many people, however, according to WWF, “Bluefin tuna are more just seafood. Tuna are a top predator in the marine food chain, maintaining a balance in the ocean environment.”
List of fish and their prices per kilo at Pysk fishmongers in Falmouth. Bluefin Tuna costs £60 per kilogram.
Illegal fishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna has been a problem for a long time. The fishing industry is constantly afflicted by issues concerning a lack of enforcement and control.
First Priority Marine are a fishing charter based in Rye and Falmouth. They offer sea fishing experiences, from fishing the wrecks along the English Channel to tuna. They have a catch and release tuna permit meaning First Priority can take guests out for the adventure of hooking a tuna. I spoke to Thomas Farage from First Priority Marine on the ethics behind tuna fishing and the purpose of catch and release. When asked if they get a lot of people taking part in the tuna fishing trips, Thomas answered, “there is a large demand for it, they are the biggest and best fish that can be caught in our waters and so there are lots of people who have yet to do it, and plenty that have been already that want to come again.” It is still a largely UK market, however, provided the fish keep coming it is likely it will attract interest from all over the world.
A catch and release permit is a permit that allows the tuna to be caught, measured along the side of the boat, revived and then released. Thomas spoke about the methods used when catching the tuna, “We use very heavy rods and reels, the idea being that we get the fish to the side of the boat as quickly as possible in order to minimise the stress on the fish.” This highlights the fact that a lot of work goes into the catch and release events and competitions that take place. It also shows that they are held purely for human entertainment. “It is illegal for us to intentionally kill them, if we do they must be released back into the sea dead and we must record the death. Each trip, whether successful or not, must be recorded, and the data from these trips is submitted to the MMO (Marine Management Organisation).” The fishing industry is helping people to understand the movements of Bluefin tuna and how many of them are here in UK waters. Much data is often collected from these trips and that data is very valuable to the people and bodies that are charged with ensuring the continued success of the species.
Bluefin Tuna. Image credit: Getty Images
There are thousands of Bluefin tuna in the waters around the whole of the UK. They were recently moved from the ICUN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists as being vulnerable and are fast becoming one of the greatest success stories globally for a fish population recovering in a very short period of time. First Priority Marine told me, “The industry is heavily monitored around the globe, perhaps not enough in some areas, but certainly in the uk it is and the increase in the numbers of these fish globally over the last 10 years is testament to the fact that we can change things for the better if there are right policies in place and commitment to doing so.”
Due to being highly prized on the table and seen at the top seafood restaurants around the globe, the commercial market for Bluefin tuna is constantly and rapidly increasing. There is also a large demand for the catch and release side of things, many people have no interest in killing the fish, but they want to experience catching one and want to see them. According to Thomas from First Priority Marine Bluefin tuna are incredible creatures, “They really are magnificent, and just seeing them out there is mind blowing for most people who have never seen one before.”
With catch and release, the tuna undoubtedly go through stress, however as explained by Thomas Farage, the mortality rates for the catch and release fishery is very low and that is due to the training that people go through, the methods and tackle used and the essential reviving of the fish after they are caught. “Fish care is the number one thing on people’s minds. We as fisherman want to ensure that these fish are here for a long time. The catch and release fishery is incredibly valuable too, recent surveys suggest that it is 8-10 more times valuable than the commercial fishery, due to the money that people are willing to spend on travelling to catch them, the gear they buy, hotels stayed in, restaurants eaten in and so on.”
It can be argued that it is cruel to catch fish for entertainment, however, from speaking with local Cornish fishermen and First Priority Marine, it became clear to me that it is done with as much care as possible. If people maintain that principle, it is something that can be carried on with as little damage to the ecosystem as possible. In a final answer to my questions, Thomas said, “I for one would much rather continue to catch the fish and release them, rather than kill them for financial gain. From my limited experience these fish are incredibly tough, and the overwhelming majority swim off strongly and largely unharmed.”
The fishing industry should be strongly concerned about the commercial tactics employed by other countries such as long lining. These have a far greater impact on the fish numbers and the ecosystem as a whole due to mortalities of other species like dolphins, turtles, birds and much more. Bluefin tuna are on the rise and currently thriving in our oceans, especially around the UK and Cornwall. However, it is important to recognise that they were once endangered and that should continue to be acknowledged.