BIG game fishing enthusiasts in the UK are celebrating the extension of the bluefin tuna CatcH And Release Tag (CHART) programme which ran last year in the South West of England.
Following representations from the Angling Trust and the campaign group Bluefin Tuna UK, Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis announced a continuation for CHART into 2022 with an increase in the number of licensed boats from 15 to 25. Currently there is no commercial U.K. tuna allocation and this new fishery is confined to a science based recreational only project involving the tagging and monitoring of a species which only returned to British waters some seven years ago.
However, building on the environmental and economic success of CHART the minister has now agreed to a consultation on a future live release recreational fishery opening up the possibility of the first big game fishery in the country since the 1950s.
The Angling Trust presentation outlined how the CHART programme should evolve into a expanded, licensed live release fishery generating both conservation and economic benefits.
The key points included:
- Atlantic Bluefin Tuna have now been in U.K. waters for seven years
- The increase in abundance has seen their status downgraded from “endangered” to one of “least concern” by the IUCN
- The UK is no longer in the EU and has been allocated tuna quota by International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) in its own right
- 13 other ICCAT members operate recreational tuna fisheries including Norway and Denmark
- With over 700 fish tagged and released and an economic boost of over £600,000 the CHART programme of 2021 delivered outstanding results showing how properly licensed and managed recreational fishing could deliver economic benefit alongside minimal mortality
- The U.K. now have 15 professional skippers who have kitted out their own vessels, at considerable cost, and successfully completed the CHART programme. They are ready to move to the next stage allowing new entrants to benefit from the scheme.
The days of British anglers having to fly abroad to experience top quality game fishing may be numbered as this exciting new fishery expands in the South West of the country.
You can see more on this special report on the Fieldsports TV channel: https://www.fieldsportschannel.tv/bluefintuna/
