: P.E.I. tuna fishery re-opening to Island boats on Oct. 6

By Jim Brown

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

The tuna fishery for boats in P.E.I. is set to re-open on Oct. 6.

The P.E.I. Tuna Advisory Committee, in keeping with a plan outlined in the spring, had shut down the fishery after more than one half of the quota had been caught.

Since P.E.I. boats last participated in the fishery on Aug. 15, there have been more than 80 tuna landed at Island fishing ports. Quebec boats from the Magdalene Islands and a First Nations boat have had the tuna fishery off Prince Edward Island to themselves for more than a month.

During that time period they have landed approximately 87 tuna. By comparison, Island boats had landed 243 of the big fish earlier on.

“There are lots of fish out there,” said Barb Gaudet, owner of Island Weigh, a fish monitoring company. She said there have been lots of sightings.

The season, however, is winding down for the Quebec boats. Gaudet said there were only three Quebec boats still fishing last week. Several captains had pooled their remaining 13 tags onto the three vessels. They had hailed out the first of the week but there were no reports that they had hailed in with fish.

The most productive day for the Quebec fleet was Sept. 3 when 19 fish were landed.

“Every boat out there that night came in with a fish,” Gaudet reported.

The temporary shutdown of the fishery to Island boats has angered some Island captains and pleased others.

Fears were expressed that the big fish might be gone by the time the season reopens here. Others, however, expressed hope for higher quality fish and higher prices in October.

(Jim Brown is a journalist with Transcontinental Media’s Journal Pioneer, which is a contributor to the Sou’Wester.)