First UK tuna catch and release competition to be held in Cornwall
A tuna catch and release competition is to be held in Cornwall for the first time ever in the UK in a bid to show that fish stocks are healthy again. The Bluefin Tuna Championship is being organised off Falmouth as a way to combine sport, science and sustainability.
The Catch and Release Bluefin Tuna Fishery has been developed by the UK Bluefin Tuna Association (UKBFTA) and the Angling Trust over the last three years along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Natural England. They want to show that not only are tuna stocks back up but that a catch and release fishery and competition can help boost the local economy.
As Steven Murphy, CEO of the UKBFTA said: "‘We understand the importance of this fishery to the recreational sea anglers and the value this brings to the wider community of Falmouth and the UK and the inherent natural value of having this unique and dynamic fish in our waters. We are honoured to be working with such exceptional partners on this event and look forward to showcasing just what this fishery can look like now and in the future."
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Once a thriving fishery in the North Sea from the 1930s to the 1950s, organisers believe tuna sport fishing can attract big game fishers from far flung places. The UK Bluefin Tuna Association (UKBFTA) and Angling Trust said tuna numbers declined due to the overfishing of their main food source, herring, but now fish stocks are back with huge numbers of tuna spotted off Cornwall's coast for five months of the year.
It now means that skippers are able to book anglers up until December instead of wrapping up business at the end of summer. A number of these local skippers have been working with the University of Exeter and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), in fitting trackers to tuna so their movement can be monitored.
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Fifteen charter fishing boats, including seven in Cornwall, took part in the tag and release programme organised and monitored by CEFAS over the past three years. In 2021, 419 charter trips were organised and 704 fish were caught, tagged and released.
According to CEFAS, the boats spent a combined 2,881 hours at sea fishing for tuna, with 1,069 anglers taking part overall. More than 1,000 fish were caught and released in 2022. Under the scheme the fish are not taken on board, but are instead towed alongside the boat so that they can recover from being fished before being released back to the ocean.
Last year, the then Conservative government announced that it would look to create a recreational fishery with a view to generate extra visitors' income. According to a DEFRA/CEFAS study, catch and release tuna fishing in 2022 generated £2.6 million to the local economy with just 25 boats in Cornwall.
Falmouth Harbour’s commercial operations manager Tristan Rowe said: "This championship is a unique combination of sport, science and sustainability and it’s exactly the sort of event we are focused on supporting and enabling here in our beautiful harbour waters.
"We’re delighted to be providing use of our full range of services ashore and afloat to facilitate this event in the heart of Falmouth. We are also blown away by the knowledge and expertise in understanding and monitoring these fish, so very excited to host the team from Exeter University during the event as what they have to say and show will be fascinating for visitors and the local community alike."
The competition will take place this weekend, September 28-29.
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