MAIN NEWS - DECEMBER 2018
Britain to bring back big game fishing?
Continued from page 3
point of 12,000 tonnes
to 38,350 by 2020. From
Cornwall and Wales to
the Outer Hebrides, these
unique fi sh are now present
in unprecedented numbers
with many tuna being
accidentally hooked and
some weighing up to 320kg
being returned safely.
The European Union is a
member of ICCAT and has
a 16,000 tonne quota with
98 to 99 per cent of that
allocated to commercial
interests, predominantly
in Spain, Italy and France.
ICCAT requires member
states to allocate a
proportion of its quota to
sport or recreational fi shing.
Currently and in common
with Ireland, Denmark and
Sweden, the UK has no
share of this EU quota and is
therefore unable to fi sh for
them either commercially or
recreationally.
WILL BREXIT HELP?
Once Britain leaves the
EU, anglers are calling on
the UK government to
apply to ICCAT for part of
the ‘reserve’ quota held
for new ‘artisanal’ fi shery
opportunities. As well as
the huge economic and
employment impacts,
this new UK fi shery could
contribute signifi cantly to
an existing science based
research program aimed at
and employment benefi ts to
coastal communities from
Cornwall to the west coast
of Scotland.”
Keen angler and North
Cornwall MP Scott Mann
added: “It has been nothing
short of fabulous to see
these huge and iconic
creatures aggregating
off the Cornish coast in
recent years. It would be
a massive boost to our
coastal communities if the
government was to take up
these proposals and allow
local anglers to enjoy world
class catch and release
big game fi shing right on
our doorsteps. I would
love nothing more than to
be able to lure mad keen
anglers away from Florida
and Mexico in favour of the
Cornish Rivera!”
ANGLER INTERVENTION
A live-release fi shery
exists currently in Canada
where studies show just
how important it is to its
economic value, which is
reportedly six times per
tonne greater than that of
a traditional commercial
fi shery. By allowing anglers
to become involved in the
catch and release of bluefi n
tuna and, while doing
so, gathering important
scientifi c data, this will help
considerably to the future
management of the fi shery
by highlighting important
facts on varying sustainable
factors. The use of the
recreational angling sector
www.tackletradeworld.com 05
world-leading fi sheries
management.
“Tagging programmes
across Europe use
recreational angling to
gather much needed
scientifi c data to help
understand fi sh stocks
better. A large-scale
research program, as part
of any UK live-release
fi shery, would allow anglers
to contribute to essential
scientifi c research of
the stock and its future
management.”
David Mitchell, Head
of Marine at the Angling
Trust added: “The return
of giant bluefi n tuna to
our shores provides the UK
with a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to establish a
sustainable, economically
optimal, scientifi cally
important fi shery for them
right here in Britain.
“The authorised
involvement of committed
and conservation-minded
anglers in the fi shery would
not only add signifi cantly
to our knowledge of these
tremendous fi sh but would
guard against moves to
reinstate unsustainable
commercial harvesting
and the inevitable illegal
fi shing that would occur
if no one was looking out
for the stocks. A liverelease
recreational fi shery
would be a win-win-win
by contributing to better
science, allowing the
rebuilding and recovery
of the population and
delivering huge economic
increasing knowledge of this
iconic and highly migratory
game fi sh.
Director of Bluefi n Tuna
UK, Steve Murphy, said,
“We are proposing the
introduction of a licensed
fi shery for recreational
anglers which would control
the number of vessels
deliberately targeting tuna
along with a mandatory
reporting and monitoring
system. Controls on the
tackle would help ensure the
best fi sh welfare conditions
in order to limit mortality,
although this remains
remarkably low at less than
fi ve per cent.
“This fi shery would
set a new benchmark in
sustainable management of
a recovering species, putting
the interests of the fi sh at
its heart and contributing to
the government’s ambition
in its 25-year environment
plan for the UK to develop
An accidental bluefin tuna capture
The Angling Trust’s David Mitchell
North Cornwall MP Scott Mann is all for
bringing back bluefin tuna fishing
The return of
giant bluefi n
tuna provides the
UK with a oncein
a-generation
opportunity.
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