Nova Scotia International Tuna Tournament 2010

The Nova Scotia International Tuna Tournament, Canada’s biggest tuna fishing tournament, has come to an end. I wasn’t able to make it to the weigh-in again this year as I had planned, but a friend of a friend was able to snap a photo of one of the big tuna as it was being hoisted up to the dock near downtown Halifax. No word yet if this was the winner or not, but it looks as though its well over 400 pounds, which would would have put it in the top three caught during last years tournament. Last years winner was a massive 531 pounds, but there are occasionally tuna caught over 1000 pounds in these waters. Nova Scotia is said to contain the largest concentration of giant bluefin in the world, including the world record bluefin that weighed almost 1500 pounds!

Photo by Brandon Joy

I’ll post the details about the winning fish as soon as I get them!

Canada Votes AGAINST Bluefin Ban?

If it wasn’t bad enough that Japan said it would refuse to comply with the ban, “forward thinking countries” such as Canada have VOTED AGAINST the ban! What the hell is wrong this planet? Rather than saving an entire species from being fished to extinction we’d rather save a few jobs? I know this is a touchy subject, and many people who visit this blog work in the fishing industry both recreationally and commercially, but clearly you need to have the foresight to realize that if there are no more bluefin tuna left in this world you’re still out of a job. Sure the PEI fishermen talk about conservation, but the bluefin that exist off our coasts are the same bluefin off other countries coasts. I sincerely hope that some kind of resolution is found before it’s too late.

Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea is applauding Thursday’s United Nations wildlife meeting vote rejecting a U.S.-backed proposal to ban bluefin tuna exports.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species made the right decision, said Shea. She added that responsible management practices of Canada’s bluefin fishery helped swing the vote.

Japan and scores of developing nations opposed the ban, which was proposed Feb. 5 by the panel that oversees the convention. It believed the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna — popular in sushi restaurants — has resulted in a drop of more than 80 per cent in stocks since the 19th century.

“We’re very encouraged by the preliminary results because Canada’s position all along has been that that this species should be managed through a regional fish management program, which we have in ICCAT [International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas],” said Shea. “The challenge will be to strengthen ICCAT to ensure that conservation measures are adhered to.”

Canada’s management plan is one of the best in the world, said Shea.

If Canada truly has the best management plan in the world, perhaps it’s time we helped other countries achieve the same level of natural resource management, then everyone would win. The following quote really shows that despite this “best in the world” management system we need more education and information on the actual state of these fisheries, not just the “idea” that they will be here forever. Because they won’t be.

“We’re ecstatic here. We never thought there should have been a ban and the way we fish our tuna here and our conservation measures and the way the fishermen themselves look after the stock, there really was no indication that there should be a ban whatsoever,” said Neil LeClair, P.E.I.’s fisheries minister on Thursday.

via CBC

Japan Will Not Comply With Bluefin Ban

According to a Japanese government official, Japan will not comply with a total ban on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. I can’t say that I’m surprised.

Bluefin tuna is a highly valued fish worth up to $200-$300 per kg but stocks have depleted rapidly. It is particularly sought-after in Japan, where a single fish can fetch as much a $100,000.

“If worse comes to worst, Japan will have no choice but to lodge its reservations,” Senior Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Masahiko Yamada, was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.

Some 175 countries are due to vote on 40 proposals at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar, on March 13-25. The proposals include whether to list bluefin tuna as endangered.

A two-thirds majority is required for it to be accepted and Japan is expected to fight hard against the ban.

France and Italy have also recently reversed their opposition to a ban. The European Union’s executive said last month that Atlantic bluefin tuna should be protected from being pushed to extinction by Japanese sushi lovers.

via Reuters

Is Japan tired of feeling like it’s being pushed around by other nations? Forced to make decisions about its own waters and culture? Are the waters off the coast of Japan the proving grounds for Japan’s rebellion?

What do you think?

Kayak Fishing For Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

Dave Lamoureux has taken the brought kayak fishing for big game to the east coast. His idea of a good time is heading out into the Atlantic off the coast of Cape Cod in his 12-foot kayak named Fortitude in search of bluefin tuna. With his rod strapped to a harness on his chest he hangs on for dear life as fish can pull his kayak up to 15 miles per hour.

Dave recently caught is this awesome 157 pound bluefin tuna, and the attention of the local media!

“He is a hero at bait shops up and down Cape Cod,” The Times’ Charles McGrath writes of the 42-year-old daredevil. “On the fishing blogs, a few grumblers call him a dangerous idiot.”

Well on this fishing blog, we think getting into a kayak and strapping your rod to your chest in search of a bluefin tuna powered ride of your life sounds like something I should schedule for my next vacation. Whoever’s counting, put our vote down for “hero”.

via trueslant.com