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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 37 Number 12
August 2010
Bluefin small, skinny, but steady in July
HARWICH, MA – The bluefin tuna season was plugging along in late July. Fishing action was concentrated off the coast of Maine and producing consistent landings that were welcomed by a number of dealers.
“It’s the best season start we’ve seen in years and years,” said Robert Fitzpatrick of Chatham, MA-based Maguro America, who was temporarily working out of Brunswick, ME.
Still, the size of the fish and marginal fat content were less than exemplary.
“There’s a very steady stream of large mediums,” said Bob Kliss of North Atlantic Traders Ltd., which is based in Lynn, MA. “There are a lot of them.”
The abundance of fish just over and under the 73" minimum size, combined with windy, overcast weather, made it very difficult for harpooners, who typically do well in the early season.
“The hook fleet is picking away at them in a handful of spots, so there are still some fish around, but the harpoon fleet just cannot get the weather we need,” said Chris Weiner, who fishes out of Ogunquit. “There is a ton of small fish around. Up until a few weeks ago, there were hordes of fish right around 70"-72", then the 40-50-inchers invaded. Literally miles and miles and miles of them.”
Kliss said giants had made up only about 15% of the fish his company had handled this season.
Several dealers added they had mostly seen fish that dressed out at around 160 pounds to 200 pounds.
“Dressed fish in the 250-400-pound range is kind of an ideal,” said P.J. Mead of Compass Fisheries, which was operating out of Gloucester. “It can be easier to sell a 150-200-pound fish – a single restaurant can handle the whole thing – but there’s not a lot of weight there.”
On an optimistic note, several dealers said in late July that they were starting to see fish that were beginning to put on some fat, which is what the higher-end market really craves.
Price
Overall, dealers reported a solid base price for domestic fish and exported low-fat, red-meat fish ranged from $5-$7 back to the boat. But the right combination of marginally good quality and market demand had also brought about the occasional big-money return.
Kliss said a fish he sold in Japan in the middle of July returned more than $20 per pound to the boat.
“It was about 220 pounds with some fat and good color,” he said.
Mead said he had one that weighed in at around 220 pounds and returned more than $30 to the boat.
Said Fitzpatrick, “At 87 yen to the dollar and with not a lot of fish in Japan, it’s been good.”
Added Kliss, “We have a strong yen and a strong market. All we need are export-quality fish.”
Challenges
And just as things were starting to come together for the Boston bluefin market, the environmental group Greenpeace announced on July 21 that it was targeting Japan with its first-ever “responsible seafood guide.”
The guide included 15 “red-listed” species that Greenpeace said should be removed from Japanese shelves, including all populations of bluefin tuna.
“Japanese demand for bluefin is driving the species’ disappearance around the world,” the group said. “Greenpeace’s seafood ranking guides have helped to raise public awareness of the role overfishing for seafood plays in oceans destruction. They have been instrumental in securing retailer commitments to source more sustainably sourced seafood.”
Here in the US, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) closed the northern area angling category for large medium and giant trophy fish – 73" or greater – for the rest of the year.
The northern area is defined basically as north of Great Egg Inlet, NJ. NMFS took the action when landing reports indicated anglers had reached their 5.2-metric-ton trophy quota. The southern area angling trophy category was closed on June 12. Anglers may continue to catch and release bluefin tuna of all sizes.
Lorelei Stevens
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