Bluefin Tuna

The Europeans have so over fished their bluefin tuna stocks that the Eastern fishery is collapsing. During the last few years their catches have remained huge but only because of a major increase in their fishing effort. At the same time, they had a massive increase in bluefin tuna farming, where their quota counting is questionable.

Their young of the year tuna fishery accounted for 50% of the European total landings totals in 2001. In their 2005 annual ICCAT report they stated their small bluefin landings had decreased to zero. US ICCAT participants while in Spain for the yearly ICCAT meeting went to a local fish market and purchased small bluefin. This suggested that European reporting of zero landings of baby bluefin was a total lie. Understand the Europeans did this because their landings of larger bluefin had far exceeded their assigned ICCAT bluefin landing quotas and they did not want to be over quota.

The World Wildlife Fund recently completed an independent study of all Eastern Atlantic catches. They documented that the Eastern Atlantic 2004 catches were over 100% above the sustainable limit recommended by ICCAT scientists. Europeans have been way over their sustainable limit quota for the last 15 years. But now their huge fishery is rapidly collapsing.

Northeast giant bluefin tuna fishermen’s 2006 season has been a complete bust. Not just a drop in landings but a total collapse. As of October 6, 2006 General Category reported 89.2 tons, harpoon 22.2 tons and purse seine 3.5 tons. The total US GC landings are 114.9 MT while the GC quota is over 900 MT. As of October 6, The GC has only landed 114.9 MT. of their 2006 assigned commercial quota!

Are there other reasons for such a US catch collapse? There is reason to believe this since Canada has not experienced a similar catch collapse that there is a problem with the US environment. One possible cause could be the new massive catches of herring using pair trawls. This fishery has devastated the New England inshore herring population. Bluefin are known to send scouts into an area to check out the food supply before the main body of the fish enters that area to feed. When the scouts return and report no food the main body of bluefin stays away.

Locally for 40 years we had enjoyed a mud-hole giant bluefin tuna fishery. About 10 years ago the commercial dragger fleet began to target squid inshore using small mesh nets. These small net mesh draggers caught and discarded huge amounts of young fish. During August you can follow the dragger discard trail. You will see tens of thousands of small dead fish. Are these vast discards destroying the tuna food supply in the mud hole area? A proven fact is that the giant bluefin tuna fishery in the mud-hole has ceased to exist.

Naturally, you can use the now famous excuse that global warming has heated the ocean to such a degree that bluefin tuna find New England waters too warm and they swim north to find more comfortable water temperatures.

Despite having caught only a few bluefin toward the US commercial quota, the NMFS has yet to transfer ANY part of the uncaught US bluefin commercial quota to recreational fishermen. Understand NMFS allocates the US-ICCAT quota any way they see fit. What do the US regulators desire to accomplish, give up the US quota to the EC? What nonsense.

When recreational anglers see such incompetent fishery regulations they know that managers deserve to be eliminated. Anglers get a 3 week seasons for school fish and NMFS has yet to get ANY EC or African country to observe their agreed to ICCAT quota after 28 years of trying. When will the Europeans follow the rules? When the bluefin tuna goes extinct?

If the US cannot get real and verified compliance from the EC and the African nations at their 2006 ICCAT meeting, then the US MUST withdraw from ICCAT. Why is there any reason to belong to an international organization where ALL other members are tuna pirates?

As the bluefin species slides towards extinction, the vast fishing power of the EC will quickly finish off the other tunas as well. East coast anglers know that today’s canyon fishing for Yellowfin, Bigeye and Longfin tuna is a shadow of what they enjoyed 20 years ago.

The EC has all kinds of ICCAT limits on the other tunas, but so far they do not observe their commitments on any of these fisheries either.

Why should the US support with US dues dollars a group of ICCAT nations that refuse to follow any rules and quotas they have agreed to observe?

Canyon Fishing

Canyon fishing is slowing downward zero for most anglers. The big head boats will continue to fish until early November or the tuna depart for warmer areas. The NJ canyon fishing was acceptable this year. There were tuna to be caught trolling from early July until late August and later. Normally, the high late summer ocean temperatures will end trolling for tuna by mid-August. But for whatever reason canyon tuna trolling has remained good for the entire 2006 season.

SWORDFISH

Swordfishing has been good for many anglers this year. Another plus is the number of swordfish landed by anglers that weighed over 200 pounds. NMFS states that they expect ICCAT will report at this year’s meeting that swordfish have recovered from over fishing. The US commercial swordfish catches is way down, only 25% of their assigned quota.

NMFS held a series of meetings in September to ask fishermen what they could do to increase US swordfish landings. It is well known that massive imports of Asian caught swordfish have kept the commercial dockside prices too low. A few swords per trip plus other fish resulted in a trip cash loss. Since most longline crews are paid with a percentage share of the boats catch profit, their desire to go fishing and not be paid is zero

Not often considered is the fact that most large HMS fish have high levels of Mercury in their flesh. Mercury health advisories have only been recently easily available to those who want to know about the Mercury content in HMS species. How much less tuna and swordfish are being consumed because of these health warnings? 

At the same time NMFS has NEVER made ANY attempt to know or estimate the recreational landings of recreational caught swordfish. They reported South Atlantic angler catches of 7,000 pounds for last year. Our local catches were reported as 125 pounds for the entire 2005 season. Both numbers are absurd on the low side. You can buy any magazine such as “The Fisherman” and count 10 times that amount of fish reported in the magazine. In 2006 for the first time anglers HMS permit required reporting of swordfish landings just like bluefin reporting. It will be interesting to see if the total angler numbers leap to high totals or if anglers forget to report their swordfish landings.

It is great to see swordfish rebuilding and have a large enough recovered population so that anglers can catch one every few canyon chunking trips. 

Wahoo/Dolphin

Closure of the Straits of Florida to commercial longline fishing has resulted in a major increase of Mahi-mahi and Wahoo angler catches during the east coast canyon season. In fact, there were anglers who caught more than one Wahoo on a canyon trip this year for the first time in their lives. Since almost no anglers use wire leaders, the number of Wahoo being landed is a small fraction of the number that are actually hooked. Wahoo have super sharp teeth and cut off almost all leaders shortly after being hooked.

Many large dolphin fish over 20 pounds were caught in the canyons during the entire 2006 season. Larger dolphins are great to catch because of their strong fight and bright colors. Finally they are fantastic table food. 

It is now early fall and it’s striper time, who cares about Tuna, Wahoo and Dolphin.Let’s go catch a striper for dinner. Would you enjoy striper for thanksgiving?