US scientists urge Ireland to protect a tuna sanctuary with a 200-mile conservation zone, writes Lorna Siggins
Three bluefin tuna have been tagged off the west coast as part of a research programme involving Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and Stanford University in the US.
The satellite tagging aims to track the progress of up to 10 of the fish, and generate information to underpin a management programme for the migratory species. The US scientists believe Ireland should declare a 200-mile conservation zone for the bluefin, given that this country may be providing the fish with one of its last sanctuaries.
Bluefin tuna, which can fetch up to $35,000 fresh on the Japanese fish market, is a stock under severe pressure. "These fish are smart. They know where they are being harassed," says Dr André Boustany, marine biologist at Stanford University's tuna research and conservation centre. He believes Ireland could follow the example of North Carolina, where substantial bluefin tuna stocks were discovered in the mid 1990s, by developing a sustainable "sport" fishery. Such a fishery is already being pioneered by several Co Donegal and Galway angling vessel owners, including Adrian Molloy, skipper of the Kilcar angling vessel, Naomh Cartha. Molloy's vessel caught a 968 lb bluefin tuna two years ago,which set a European record, and he hooked 15 bluefin last year.
He and several Connemara vessel owners have been attracting international sport anglers who normally fly to Kenya, the Cape Verdes and Madeira for such activity. In Molloy's case, there has been a welcome spin-off for local tourism operators during the months of September and October.
The Irish angling vessels had been selling their bounty, but Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) has encouraged them to adopt a voluntary catch and release approach, and to form an Irish Game Fish Association. The skippers have also been working with the US scientists on the research programme, which involves applying pop-up satellite tags near the fish's dorsal fin.
The tags collect information on water temperature, depth and light levels and store this in a memory chip. An internal clock triggers release of the tag, which floats to the surface and transmits data back to the laboratory.
The US scientists have been tagging bluefin tuna since the mid 1990s off the east coast of the US, where a sport fishery involving hundreds of vessels has extended the tourist season year-round. A 1998 study of the North Carolina fishery found the activity was worth $6 million annually.
Ireland could build up a similar base if a proper management policy was introduced to ensure there was no commercial fishing for the species, the US scientists state. To date, Japanese longliners outside the 200-mile limit have been the only vessels targeting the species commercially on a continuous basis in this area, but a 40-metre Spanish-registered purse seiner with a licence to fish off the Spanish quota for bluefin recently made an exploratory trip to the north-west coast.
Its Irish backers state that it did not catch any fish during the trip, and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources says it was inspected when it berthed in Killybegs.
