The bluefin tuna are here and the first weekend of August saw the opening of the recreational catch and release fishery.
Ninety-one boats and skippers, in charter boats and private vessels, have been granted permission to fish for bluefin in the English fishery. There are also a small number of charter vessels in Wales, while Scotland and the Northern Isles still operate a small scientific research programme.
Anglers can now book a spot on one of the charter boats with a permit and fish for the big fish.
Charters are popping up, have a google to see if there is something in your area or plan a cheeky short local shore break.
- https://www.isleofharrisseatours.co.uk/trips/bluefin-tuna-fishing-trips/
- https://www.catchbluefintuna.com/
- https://fortunacharters.com/
- https://charterfishing.co.uk/tuna-fishing-mevagissey/
- https://www.truebluecharters.co.uk/game-fishing.html
- https://stivesfishingtrips.co.uk/bluefin-tuna-fishing/
- https://www.spot-on-charters.co.uk/tuna-fishing
- https://www.silverhalocharters.co.uk/
- https://www.truebluecharters.co.uk/
- https://bigfishcharters.co.uk/
Grant Jones, Sea Angling Campaigns Manager for the Angling Trust, took to the sea on the opening day of the season.
“Opening a recreational fishery will give more people the opportunity to enjoy what is arguably the best bluefin tuna sport in the world,” Grant said.
“Having only personally caught bluefin in a ‘stand-up’ position before, we spent the day hauling tuna over the side of the boat with a gun and chair fighting to show how accessible all the fisheries are this.
“The overall experience, surrounded by an abundance of nature that includes sunfish, free swimming blue sharks, dolphins, whales, gannets, many other seabirds and of course vast shoals of baitfish and ‘busting’ tuna is like being transported to a distant tropical paradise. climate , even before the fact that it is right on our doorstep!
“I hope that as many people can have this exciting experience this year as possible and that everyone works together to deliver the highest possible welfare standards to protect this fishery for years to come.”
The opening of the catch and release fishery is a major landmark in a journey that began in 2018 with the launch of a campaign group, Bluefin Tuna UK (later the UK Bluefin Tuna Association (UKBFTA)), which joined forces with Angling Trust to establish a scientific research program to help inform future management options for this iconic fish.
Joined by the Professional Boatman’s Association (PBA) in 2020, the recreational sea angling sector went on to win, co-design and deliver the English CatcH And Release Tagging program, (CHART) which started in 2021. CHART represents a unprecedented collaboration between skippers, anglers, scientists and Government agencies. It has delivered over 3,200 tagged and released fish, gathered large volumes of valuable data, achieved extremely low mortality, and generated millions in income for impoverished coastal communities. This success led directly to the introduction of a Catch and Release Recreational Fishery (CRRF) in England and Wales this year.
Martin Salter, Head of Policy at the Angling Trust said:
“After years of trying to gain recognition and fair treatment for the recreational sector, the ‘wins’ that have brought us here show the great strides forward made to deliver the bluefin fishery and give anglers chance to experience some of the most exciting games. fishing in our home.”
The CRRF is a ‘lighter touch’ fishery as defined by DEFRA. This is its first year of operation and, in many ways, it has been a learning year. There are a number of areas that as stakeholders we have had differences of opinion with DEFRA regarding some aspects of this first year of operation, which have been made clear to us. Collaboration and co-design is a process that requires compromise on both sides, and while not perfect, it is a significant step forward.
But this is only the first step in a process that should see the CRRF develop and grow in the coming years. We, along with our partners, the UKBFTA and the PBA, will continue to push DEFRA and the MMO to learn lessons, expand the fishery, and deliver a greater experience for anglers, while maintaining the highest welfare standards.
Stuart Singleton-White, Head of Campaigns at the Angling Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting time for sea fishing. The opportunity for us to experience some of the best game angling in the world and not have to travel thousands of miles to do it – it’s on our doorstep .
“Of course, it’s year one, we still have things to learn. We will continue to push DEFRA and the MMO to improve and expand this fishery over the coming years, but after more than six years of hard graft to get us where we are now, let’s just get out and enjoy our fishing.”
What sets this fishery apart is the quality of the experience. It is not about a race to catch as many fish as possible in one trip or to maximize the number of hook ups at any time, but to experience the power and majesty of these powerful fish and ensure that they released unharmed and able to swim far and ready for another day.
Fisherman safety and fish welfare are at the heart of this fishery. To ensure that the skills and experience gained by the charter skippers who participated in CHART are available to all permit holders, regardless of their level of experience, a series of training and material support was developed by stakeholders, led by of the UKBFTA working with some of the most experienced bluefin tuna skippers, crew and anglers in the UK. This training and support material includes:
- Free personal training day. Five days have been run for permit holders so far and we hope to run two more in the coming weeks.
- Training and knowledge resources, covering everything from gear types to fish handling to angler safety via the UKBFTA knowledge bank: Click here
- Training “how to” videos supporting the published training materials will be launched in the coming days. These will be available here
- A Code of Conduct, which provides guidance and advice for licensed anglers to conduct legal, safe, professional levels of recreational angling, while contributing to the future management of Atlantic bluefin tuna thereby ensuring that the this iconic species has a sustainable future. Click here
Now that the season is open, and will be until the end of the year, all that’s left is for permit holders to take advantage of this incredible opportunity and show the world just how amazing the recreational bluefin fishery is we have here in the UK , and for anglers to book those trips on bluefin tuna charter boats to have the thrill of a lifetime.
