LOCAL Atlantic Bluefin tuna will be on sale today after a 43 kg fish was caught about five miles off Corbière on Saturday – the first time that this prized species has been landed and sold in Jersey following a change in the law earlier this year.
The single fish was caught and brought ashore by Shetty Chavan – the only Jersey fisherman to be awarded a licence by the UK to catch and kill this type of tuna.
Now filleted, the fish will be on sale today at Coop Grand Marchés and the Ugly Oyster at Grève de Lecq – the first time that locally caught Atlantic Bluefin tuna has been available to buy.
Once a protected species, the States Assembly agreed to change the law in March to allow tuna to be caught in Jersey’s territorial waters under strict rules around quota, handling and recording.
While the Island can manage its own ‘catch and release’ sport fishery for Bluefin tuna, ‘catch and kill’ is overseen by the UK and Mr Chavan was the only local beneficiary of a nationwide ‘lottery’ allocation, much to the disappointment of other fishers.
Talking to the JEP about his prize catch on Saturday morning, Mr Chavan said: “It was a big battle for about 20 minutes, but it was a relatively small tuna, which was fine for my first one.
“We left the Harbour at 5.30 am and we hooked up the fish within about 20 minutes of arriving off Corbière and were back in the Harbour 40 minutes later.
“It was actually easier than I expected because normally they are a lot tougher. That is because 43 kg isn’t huge; if you get a 100 kg one, they will put up a much bigger fight.”
Mr Chavan was in his 19-foot Orkney boat working alongside one crew. It was the fourth day on the trot that he had been searching for tuna.
Although one might have an image of Mr Chavan battling with bended rod in hand, reeling in the giant fish, the tuna was actually caught using a towed ‘spreader bar’.
He explained that this consisted of dragging several metal bars, each up to a metre long, behind the boat. Each bar held a fake school of ‘teasers’ – looking like squid – with a single hooked bait or lure, called a ‘stinger’, trailing behind it by a metre or so.
The bar is designed to splash and make a commotion on the surface while the ‘stinger’ is designed to mimic a vulnerable, trailing animal which the tuna will identify as the easiest, weakest and slowest meal to go for.
“That image of a long fight with a rod and reel is more sport fishing; my aim is to bring the fish in as quickly and effortlessly as possible,” he said.
Mr Chavan added: “I had ice on board and packed the fish into a bag with ice as soon as I caught it. It was ashore within 40 minutes, so was fresher than fresh.”
Mr Chavan said that he had phoned ahead to merchant Fishwise, who were waiting on the Victoria Pier with a crane and forklift to lift the ice-encased bounty off.
Although not revealing the price he received, Mr Chavan said that he always planned to donate the proceeds from his first catch to charity, with the money likely split between the RNLI and the JSPCA.
He said: “I am conscious that I have the first and only licence for Jersey. I have a responsibility and don’t want to disappoint anyone. I will try as hard as I can to supply this fantastic fish, caught in Jersey waters, to the local market.”
Mr Chavan said he had been back out this week looking for more tuna, which had so far alluded him. He said: “It obviously costs a lot of money to find them so I need to take great care. Saturday was a lucky day and it was a very short journey back but let’s see how long the fish are going to stay around.”
Mr Chavan added that the amount of paperwork that he had had to complete after the catch had been significant, and he had only got the final sign off on Monday morning.
“The catching is hard enough, but the paperwork is even more stressful,” he said. “But we have learnt a lot with this first fish, and I think the next one will be easier, in terms of the admin.”
Maria Tarrant of merchant Fisewise said: “The fish required a lot of careful handling and preparation, which reflects the fact that it is considered a premium quality product worldwide. This really is the ‘King of the Sea’, which is now being caught locally.
“Saturday’s first landing was the culmination of more than five years of work; it has been a massive joint effort and a lot of people need to be recognised for their hard work, including former Environment Minister Steve Luce, former Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel, and the team at Marine Resources.
“We have trained to handle the fish but, now the market has opened, we plan to put even more emphasis on processing and handling. The tuna that you can already buy in Jersey will usually be imported Yellowfin or another type. This, on the other hand, is Jersey-caught Bluefin – seen as the highest quality out there.”
Mrs Tarrant added: “We intend to sell at a promotional price at first, so people can understand and taste it. This is an important development for the Jersey market; yes, it will be more expensive than normal tuna, but this is a very special fish indeed.
“It is also a carefully managed fishery; we have had to register with the international commission which overseas the industry to insure there is traceability across the supply chain. Fishwise’s whole ethos is sustainable fishing, and this fits very much into that.”
Francis Binney, who leads the government’s Marine Resources department said: “This is a moment to be proud of for the Marine Resources team and for Jersey fishermen.
“It is the culmination of several years of research, legislative work and negotiation that has seen Jersey become part of ICCAT [International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas] and a Jersey fisherman gain access to tuna quota.
“This fish marks the start of seasonal high value fishery that is a positive for the industry and the wider hospitality sector. Marine Resources is continuing to work with the UK to access quota for more vessels in the future.”
