Bluefin tuna are here: the recreational catch and release fishery opens!

Bluefin tuna are here and the first weekend in August saw the opening of the recreational catch and release fishery.  

Ninety-one boats and skippers, across charter boats and private vessels, have been given permits to fish for bluefin in the English fishery. There’s also a small number of charter vessels in Wales, while Scotland and Northern Island are still operating a small scientific research programme.

Anglers can now book a place on one of the charter boats with a permit and go fishing for these mighty fish.

Grant Jones, Sea Angling Campaigns Manager for the Angling Trust, headed out to sea on the opening day of the season.

“The opening of a recreational fishery is going to give a lot more people the chance to enjoy what is arguably the world’s best bluefin tuna sport,” said Grant.

“Having personally only caught bluefin in the ‘stand-up’ position previously, we spent the day bringing tuna to the side of the boat using gunnel and chair fighting to show just how accessible to all this fishery will be.

“The overall experience, surrounded by an abundance of nature which included sunfish, free swimming blue shark, dolphins, whales, gannets, many other seabirds and of course immense shoals of baitfish and ‘busting’ tuna is like being transported to far off tropical climates, before the reality sets in that this is right on our doorstep!

“I hope as many people get to enjoy this thrilling experience this year as possible and that everyone works collectively 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 huge 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)), who joined forces with the Angling Trust to establish a scientific research programme to help inform the 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) that began in 2021. CHART represented an unprecedented collaboration between skippers, anglers, scientists and Government agencies. It delivered over 3,200 tagged and released fish, gathered huge volumes of important data, achieved incredibly low mortality rates, and generated millions in revenue for hard pressed 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:

“Following years of efforts to secure acknowledgement and equitable treatment for the recreational sector, the ‘wins’ that brought us here show the huge strides forward that were made to deliver a bluefin fishery and give anglers the chance to experience some of the most exciting game fishing in our home waters.”

The CRRF is a ‘lighter touch’ fishery as determined by DEFRA. It is its first year of operation and, in many ways, it is a learning year. There were some areas that as stakeholders we had differences of opinion with DEFRA regarding some aspects of this first year of operations, which we have been transparent about. Collaboration and co-design is a process that requires compromise on both sides, and whilst not perfect, this is a significant step forward.

But it is only the first step in a process that should see the CRRF evolve and grow in the coming years. We, along with our partners, UKBFTA and the PBA, will continue to push DEFRA and the MMO to learn lessons, expand the fishery, and deliver an even greater experience for anglers, while maintaining the highest welfare standards.

Stuart Singleton-White, Head of Campaigns at the Angling Trust, said:

“This is an exciting time for sea angling. The chance for us to experience some of the best game angling in the world and no need to travel thousands of miles to do so – it’s on our doorstep.

“Of course, it’s year one, we’ve still got things to learn. We will continue to push DEFRA and the MMO to improve and expand this fishery in the years to come, but after over six years of hard graft to get us to today, let’s just go out and enjoy our fishing.”

What marks this fishery out is the quality of the experience. This is not about a race to catch as many fish as possible in one trip or to maximise the number of hook ups at any one time, but to experience the power and majesty of these mighty fish and ensure they are released unharmed and able to swim away fit and ready for another day.

Angler safety and fish welfare are at the heart of this fishery. To make sure the skills and experience gained by the charter skippers who took part in CHART are available to all permit holders, whatever their level of experience, a series of training and support material has been developed by stakeholders, led by UKBFTA working with some of the most experienced bluefin tuna skippers, crew and anglers in the UK. This training and support material includes:

• Free in person training days. Five days have been run for permit holders so far and we are hoping to run a further two 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 coming days. These will be available here
• A Code of Conduct, giving guidance and advice for permitted anglers to conduct legal, safe, professional levels of recreational angling, whilst contributing to the future management of Atlantic bluefin tuna thereby ensuring these iconic species have a sustainable future. Click here

Now the season is open, and will be until the end of the year, all that remains is for permit holders to make the most of this incredible opportunity and show the rest of the world what an amazing recreational bluefin fishery 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.