Who writes TunaTales?
TunaTales is written by Jack and Bobby, aka Bandini and Booger, of the American Albacore Fishery Association, who have been at sea fishing for Albacore tuna since the 2007 season started in early July. They send us at the Marine Stewardship Council notes from their boats by email via Inmarsat. We'll be posting their stories on TunaTales throughout the season, following Jack and Bobby on their journeys off the West coast of America in search of tuna.
How are the tuna caught?
The American Albacore is what's known as a 'pole and troll' fishery. These 2 fishing techniques have been unchanged for over 100 years. When trolling, fishermen let out a short ‘troll’ line. When they see or feel a tuna on the line they pull it in, one line at a time. Fishermen might use many individual lines at one time. Some boats harvest solely by trolling. Pole fishing is when fisherman use baited jack poles to bring in the tuna. Pole fishers often also troll as this helps bring fish to the surface.
AAFA fisherman usually fish in groups for safety. The average tuna caught weighs 12-20lbs. Brine and blast freezing methods are used and the tuna are unloaded a number of times throughout the season.
Watch pole and troll fisherman in action in a short video on the AAFA homepage
The traditional 'pole and troll' method ensures the tuna stock is preserved for future generations to enjoy fishing and to enjoy eating. It ensures that there is no bycatch, such as dolphins, as only tunas are caught and kept.
What is the MSC - Marine Stewardship Council?
The MSC is an international non-profit organisation that promotes a solution to the problem of overfishing. We run the only widely recognised environmental certification and eco-labelling scheme for wild capture fisheries. Look for our eco-label (left) when buying seafood to be reassured that it has come from a responsible fishery.
The American Albacore tuna fishery is currently undergoing assessment against the MSC standard. If the fishery meets our standard for a sustainable fishery, its tuna will be able to carry the blue eco-label of the MSC.
What is AAFA - the American Albacore Fishing Association?
AAFA is non-profit corporation formed to represent American 'troll and/or pole and line' commercial fishing vessels engaged in the harvest of tuna.
