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"Cape fishermen hit by diminishing catches of prized
Bluefin Tuna"
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As reported on Foster's Online, Dover New Hampshire
Monday, March 19, 2007
"Hyannis, Mass. (AP) Cape fishermen are pulling in
diminishing numbers of the prized Atlantic bluefin tuna,
exposing their families to financial hardships and concern
over the future of the industry in the region.
Bluefin tuna's dark red meat produces some of the most
expensive fish dishes in the world. The species is one of
the largest bony fishes and can reach lengths of up to 9.8
feet. Adult weights range from 300-1,500 pounds.
More than 5,000 commercial fishermen along the Atlantic
coastline pursue them each year as they migrate north in the
summer and south in the fall. They are typically seen in New
England waters from June to November.
The past two years, however, have seen historic low landings
for bluefin. Last year alone, fishermen caught less than 14
percent of their quota _ one of the worst harvest in more
than five decades of record keeping, biologist Brad Chase of
the state Division of Marine Fisheries said.
The decline is reflected elsewhere in the world. Globally
two years ago, Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks have dropped by
80 percent over the past 30 years. The global tuna export
market in 2002 was $5 billion, according to the U.N. Food
and Agriculture Organization.
Andy Baler, owner of Nantucket Fish Co. in Chatham and
Dennis, is one of those hit by the trend.
''Last year's tuna season never happened,'' Baler told The
Cape Cod Times.
Baler said he used to process 800 tuna caught in Cape waters
for shipment to the Japanese sushi market. Last year, he
handled just 60.
''Tuna really helps the commercial guys. When you catch five
or six giants, that puts $20,000 in the house,'' he said.
Bluefin tuna feeds on smaller fishes such as herring,
mackerel, whiting, flying fish, and mullet.
Baler believes that the prized tuna are bypassing near-shore
waters and heading to Canada because the inshore stocks of
herring have all been caught by large vessels towing huge
nets.
Canada does not allow such vessels to fish inshore areas.
Peter Baker of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's
Association hopes that recently passed regulations that ban
the bigger herring boats from fishing inshore waters along
the Gulf of Maine will leave enough fish to attract Bluefin
to coastal waters this summer.
''Tuna (season) was a huge part of the year for our fleet,''
Baker said. ''With the collapse of cod, the shutdown on
dogfish and with no tuna, it's the perfect trifecta.''
Efforts to step up protection of the threatened species are
underway.
Last month, the European Union's top fisheries official
pressed for stronger protections for the overfished bluefin
tuna.
EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said he wants to extend
the fishing offseason, reduce tuna sold on the black market,
and impose new worldwide cuts in catch quotas as quickly as
possible.
The proposal would reduce catch quotas this year for bluefin
tuna caught in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean to
29,500 tons from 32,000. The EU's 27 member states were
expected to approve the measure within weeks, officials
said.
In Japan last month, worldwide regulators adopted a plan
aimed at slowing the decline in global tuna stocks by
reining in illegal fishing, controlling the growth of fleets
and sharing data on stock assessments.
Illegal fishing has been a curse for the species. In EU
waters, it is estimated that one in three catches goes
undeclared onto the black market, or an additional 18,000
tons."
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Information from: The Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com |
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© Offshore Pursuits LLC 2007 |
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