Between the devil and the deep blue sea
GLOBALLY endangered and having all but disappeared from British waters for 40 years, the bluefin tuna has been seen in growing numbers off the south coast of england and in the Irish Sea. This is due to the rise in atlantic-current temperature, a natural phenomenon, say scientists, and not because of stock recovery. even so, anglers are calling for the fishing ban to be lifted.
In the 1930s, bluefin tuna—the world’s largest and fastest fish, weighing up to 2,000lb with swim speeds of 43mph—was a target for big-game UK fishermen and particularly common off the coast of Scarborough. Now, fishing for bluefin tuna is prohibited in the UK, despite recent petitions. The angling Trust says catch-and-release fishing could have economic benefits, not to mention the huge profit to be made after Brexit, should a tunafishing industry begin in Cornwall and Wales.
Worldwide, the fish has declined by 96% since the 1950s, when large-scale commercial fishing began, which has only served to whet some appetites; earlier this month, a restaurateur in Tokyo paid $3.1 million (£2.4 million) for a single 612lb Pacific bluefin tuna, breaking a record set in 2013.
however, the scientists involved in the study are cautious. They believe that, although we’re seeing rising numbers of the species here and in waters between Greenland and Norway, this is not a sign of an increased population, merely an indication that fish have swum north following the warmer current. This has, in turn, decreased numbers in the Mediterranean, ‘which is currently the most important spawning ground, and that will affect adult abundance a few years later,’ explains Dr Robin Faillettaz.
‘Before we further exploit bluefin tuna... we should consider whether it would be better to protect them by making the UK’S seas a safe space for one of the ocean’s most endangered top fish,’ says Dr Richard Kirby.