The bluefin tuna fishing season has opened in parts of the UK, giving authorised commercial and permitted recreational fishers the opportunity to fish for bluefin tuna.
Starting from Monday, July 13, authorised UK commercial vessels can target bluefin tuna in English, Welsh and Scottish waters. Also, permitted recreational catch and release vessels, administered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), can fish for bluefin tuna within English waters.
MMO said the opportunities for commercial fishermen to land bluefin tuna for sale, and for recreational anglers to catch and release the fish, have increased significantly this year following successful negotiations to boost the UK’s quota for the species.
The start of the season is the culmination of joint work by MMO, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, and Angling Trust in managing this emerging recreational fishery.
MMO has coordinated similar joint working with stakeholders on the commercial fishery.
Under the UK application process run by MMO on behalf of DEFRA, 30 commercial vessels have been awarded permits to fish for bluefin tuna using rod and line this season. This is twice as many as last year and the quota per vessel has increased from three to four tonnes.
Recreational permits were awarded to all 89 charter vessels that applied, according to the application scheme’s stated policy, and the remaining permit offers were awarded by ballot to 56 private vessels.
All charter and private vessels must have a person on board who has passed the bluefin tuna catch and release mandatory training run by Angling Trust for each trip they make, to ensure compliance with the fishery’s code of conduct.
