MORE locally caught Atlantic bluefin tuna is set to be available in restaurants and on fish counters this year after Jersey was given permission to issue five new licences to commercial fishers as part of a wider UK trial.
Jersey had only been given one licence to catch and land the species – which has increased in number locally over the past few years – through a UK-run process which divvyed out its 230-tonne annual quota through a lottery system.
That successful Jersey licence holder, fisher Shetty Chavan, caught his first tuna late last month, landing a 43kg specimen – the opening inroad into his four-tonne quota for this year.
Now, however, five more licences will be allocated, although this time by Jersey’s own Marine Resources department rather than the UK. It will increase the local quota for this year, by ten tonnes to 14, with each new licence-holder able to land up to two tonnes.
The Jersey Fishermen’s Association said that the extra licences would provide a “much-needed boost” to the local fishing industry.
The new licences will be issued as part of new commercial-scientific bluefin tuna trials being launched by the UK Government, in partnership with the UK’s devolved governments and Crown Dependencies.
The trials will use 26 tonnes of the UK’s 2026 bluefin tuna quota and will operate in Wales, Jersey and Scotland. It is designed to improve understanding of the fish’s behaviour, ecology and distribution around the UK and Channel Islands, while supporting the development of a sustainable commercial fishery.
The trials are separate from the UK commercial fishery and English recreational fishery and will not affect existing quota allocations.
The permits will be for a lower quota than the UK-run system – hence each two-tonne allocation being half of Mr Chavan’s – and with more obligations on the fisher to deliver data.
This will include analysis on stomach contents to determine the feeding patterns of tuna in Jersey’s waters. Fishers will also be obliged to take DNA samples, body measurements, and additional data around the fishing fight time.
Fisheries officers will also work with fishers to get an understanding of the local market economics of the fish sales.
The tuna – which have to be carefully caught, handled and stored – will be able to be sold and consumed locally, with Jersey Business charged with helping to track marketing and sales.
Environment Minister Mary Le Hegarat said: “Securing five licences for Jersey is a positive step for our fishing industry and reflects the growing presence of bluefin tuna in our waters.
“The information gathered through these trials will help improve our understanding of this species, support sustainable fisheries management and help ensure Jersey can benefit from future opportunities in this developing fishery.”
Mr Chavan told the JEP that he was not disappointed that his hitherto monopoly on catching and landing bluefin tuna in Jersey’s waters was likely to come to an end.
He said: “It’s great news and I had actually been disappointed when I heard that I was the only successful local applicant in the first UK allocation. I’m pleased that more fishers will be given the opportunity to land tuna and more people in Jersey will potentially be able to eat this amazing fish.”
Mr Chavan said that he had been out again this week trying to hook his second tuna but to no avail.
He said: “It is not easy at the moment; they are around but not feeding where I can get them. There seem to be more in Guernsey’s waters, but I’m not allowed to catch them there.”
Responding to the news of more licences, Jersey Fishermen’s Association vice-chair Gabby Mason said: “The JFA is happy to hear of this potential trial scheme and is looking forward to learning more later this week in discussions with Fisheries.
“We are aware of a potential additional five permits which would be an incredible achievement for the Island and could provide a much-needed boost to the local fishing fleet.”
Meanwhile, Jersey’s Marine Resources department have issued 19 ‘catch-and-release’ recreational licences for this season, which started on 13 July and ends on 30 November. Licence-holders must follow a strict set of rules, including going through mandatory training and reporting of catches.
Both the recreational and commercial fisheries for bluefin tuna have opened this year for the first time after the States Assembly took the species off a protected list in March.
