Tag Archives: commercial tuna fishermen
“Challenging,” “Inconsistent,” “Strange” – Rotten tuna season comes to a close
It’s been a stinky season for Washington and Oregon commercial tuna fishermen. The final albacore tuna landings are offloading at local ports this week, ending was has been a tough overall 2020 fishery. “Challenging,” “Inconsistent,” “Strange” and “Worst ever” are some of the words used to sum up the season by local processors, commercial and recreational fishermen. Catch coast wide this season has been about two-thirds of the 20-year average, according to Western Fishboat Owners Association Executive Director Wayne Heikkila, who monitors the commercial tuna fishing season coast wide from California to Washington as part of non-profit group representing 400 albacore fishermen on the West Coast. photos, >click to read< 18:25
Two tough years for tuna Pacific Northwest fishermen
One skipper said it was his worst season in 15 years of fishing. Another classified it a “weird” year with scattered schools and undersized fish. For a second straight year, the news hasn’t been good for Oregon and Washington commercial tuna fisherman. According to official figures from the Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PFIN), commercial landings are down from the previous year, dropping significantly from the 10-year average in both states. August has historically accounted for a majority of the tuna caught in a given season, but this year substantial schools arrived later than anticipated, after a majority of commercial fishermen left or turned their attention to other fisheries. >click to read<08:45
Greenstick Tuna Fishing
Inspired by commercial tuna fishermen, a new generation of recreational anglers now targets tuna with a green stick. The boats around us, fishing commercially, were outfitted with a 40-foot vertical pole called a green stick. At the time, only a few commercial boats rigged this way. By the next season, half the charter fleet had joined the stick fight. Lately, green sticks are popping up on private boats, and smaller versions are available for boats less than 30 feet. But installing, rigging and using this deadly tactic is a major investment of time and money. Here’s how to do it right. click here to read the story 16:15
