Bluefin Tuna

[Eric Walker]

Well it's been a while since I have posted on this site and finally I have something worth posting. I was in the southern hemisphere at the end of August for a bluefin spearing trip and it was amazing and one of a kind experiance. The story is long so I won't take time to post it right now. The fish were all big and very powerful. No sharks were seen, well I didn't see any that is. Everyone involved had a great time and many new friends were made!

 

[Morg]

Wow awesome haul! . What did they weight in at?

I can't wait to read your story. I am hoping I get a chance to do something like this someday as well.

 

[Marwan]

wow, looks record material there, which gun did you use?

 

[foxfish]

More info please - did i say please?

 

[Pastor]

C'mon Eric man! Still waiting for the story

 

[The Killer's me]

yes thats what you call big fish...

 

[Mr. X]

Super catch but blue fin tuna are a species under threat so I have mixed feelings seeing those three beauties layed out on deck.

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Europe bans bluefin tuna fishing

"The European Commission has banned the fishing of endangered bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean for the rest of the year."

 

[sunfish]

Not before time. The giant bluefin that used to come up the west coast of Ireland, in september to november, have now all but dissapeared. These weren't fish of 50 to 100 lbs but weighed hundreds of lbs. What I'd like to know is why they didn't protect them while there still were some to protect.

 

[BatRay]

'Cause governments love the close the barn door after the horse gets out It's politically safer than protecting a resource before it "needs" protecting.

 

[Eric Walker]

I see all of your points. The three fish on the back of the boat were from three of us. Not all mine. Also these fish were taken in New Zealand not the Med. I would not have been able to find a fish of this size in the Med, they are all gone, that is why they closed the fishery. Not because us spearos are out shooting them left and right. I went there to shoot one fish and that is what I did. I could have potentially shot more but what is the point. That was enough fish for me to take home and it has lasted quite some time now.

 

[Eric Walker]

Ok so here is the story you guys have asked for.

 

[BatRay]

Good story, Eric I'm glad to hear that the giant fish are still around in some places. So jealous about the fresh sushi.

What is New Zealand's conservation policy? It appears that the fishery is doing well.

 

[The Killer's me]

great story well done!
how much does this kind of trip costs? and how long do u need to practice before becoming fit enough for this kind of adventure?

 

[sunfish]

Nice one Eric. I'd like to be able to catch a bluefin off these shores.
The Irish government traded away fishing rights to bluefin to gain other advantages from the EEC. It was giant fishing boats that saw off the giant bluefin here, some with quota and some illegally fishing inside the limits. So far as I know they were a different stock of fish to those in the mediterranean. They migrated up the mid atlantic ridge to feed on saury pike in cold northern waters, passing Ireland in late autumn.

 

[foxfish]

Great write up Eric, amazing achievement.

 

[Mr. X]

Good response Eric. I am told that the Great Blue fin tuna that were often caught of Scarborough, UK disappeared decades ago because their food supply (herring, I think and/or perhaps pilchards) was fished into oblivian. Big game fisherman came from around the world, often on private yachts to catch them and commercial fisherman caught them too, judging by photographs I've seen. Either way, they never came back. I did hear one report recently of a few Cornish fisherman starting to target pilchards again, although on a small scale, so perhaps there is some hope.

 

[Eric Walker]

I really do think there is hope for the fishery. There are a number of scientists out there doing research now which will give better info on there numbers and how they grow. We dontaed samples from all of our fish to the scientists so they could add this to there files. All of the lengths and weights were given to them as well, along with DNA samples. It is an amazing fish and I am lucky to have gotten the chance to spear one. It would do no one any harm to shut down the bluefin tuna fishery for the next few years worldwide. People will still illegaly take them but atleast it will put a big stop to the mass slaughters that were going on. Some of the fish in the Med have actually been recorded to have traveled all the way to New Zealand and then stayed there. The satellite tags provide a great amount of previously unknown info on these fish. I could have just been happy to have gotten in the water to see these fish and not landed one but the opportunity was there and I had to take advantage of it.