"King of fish"-Irish anglers seek recreational catch & release quota for Atlantic Bluefin tuna. 

The species, which is under-threat globally due to over-fishing, can typically visit Irish waters during the late summer and autumn. While some EU member states issue permit the fishing of bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus) in their waters, any bluefin tuna caught must be accounted for from that Member State’s national quota. Ireland does not have a quota for bluefin tuna, thus banning any access to these fish via sport fishing or any recreational fishing activity.

Fine Gael and Fianne Fáil have been questioned by Ireland, south, Sinn Féin MEP-Liadh Ní Riada, over their continual failure to represent coastal communities around Ireland and request an Atlantic Bluefin tuna quota for Irish fishermen.

Following an international conference quotas for fishing tuna in Irish waters for countries like France, Portugal, Spain , Japan and Norway were increased, for example, Norway will triple it's quota by 2020. These vessels are fishing just off the Munster coast, catching tonnes of the world's most valuable fish, each worth thousands of euro. Schools of Atlantic bluefin tuna gather off the south coast of Ireland to feed on forage fish species such as herring and sprat. It appears these giant fish are increasing in our waters, but concern exists among the Irish scientific and fishing community about the increase in fishing quotas of Atlantic bluefin tuna over the coming years. In addition to the prohibition of Irish fishermen fishing commercially for tuna in Irish waters, and foreign vessels being described as "raping our seas" while fishermen have to "stand by and watch", a small quota for catch & release angling will not even be considered to be raised at ICATT meetings by the Irish government.

"It's outrageous that Ireland is not allowed to fish for this valuable species in it's own waters. The failure of the Irish government to refuse to negotiate for a quota for bluefin tuna means that coastal communities in munster will be particularly affected, especially when it comes to the knock on effect this will have on the angling and ecotourism sector and employment"- she said .

In light of this, and the fact that there are concerns about the displacement of the British and other EU fishing fleets with Brexit looming, Irish people and the Irish government should consider the ecological and economic benefit of allocating some of the quota for this endangered species to catch & release angling, giving a small percentage of the population a chance to withstand the onslaught to which bluefin tuna in Irish waters are about to succumb. In addition, consideration to protecting these fish so their presence here isn't fleeting, is given weight to the testament that Atlantic bluefin tuna in the north-east Atlantic have survived extreme overfishing, and it is in Ireland's interest to protect the health of our oceans and our maritime resources.

A report published in 2008 by Marine Institute observer, John Boyd, described the level of bycatch on-board a Japanese long-lining vessel, the Kushin Maru in the international waters of the eastern north Atlantic in 1997. The study found that over a period of 71 days; blue shark ( Prionace glauca) was the most frequently caught species, followed by bluefin tuna. Three shortfin mako ( Isurus oxyrinchus) , one swordfish ( Xiphias gladius) and one anglerfish ( Lophius spp.), were also reported as bycatch.

In the late 90's, long-line catches for bluefin in the north east Atlantic fell two thirds. Despite the introduction of strict quotas, one in three fish were still being caught illegally and were being smuggled to Japan through Mediterranean tuna sea farms. ICATT has once again been criticised for setting short-term quotas that ignore scientific advice. With improvements in tuna stocks in recent years due to strict quotas being in place, against the advice of leading experts in fisheries science, ICATT has set an increase in quotas from 28,000 tonnes to 36,000 tonnes by 2020.

To date, the only quota set for Ireland for bluefin tuna has been for 1% of bycatch, usually in seine netting for albacore tuna, a species we have a quota for. Sea Anglers and Charter boats are frequently reminded by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority that it is illegal to catch, land or sell a bluefin tuna.

Minister for Marine Michael Creed stated that "Ireland can not be granted a quota for recreational bluefin angling in Ireland, even with a catch & release policy, in the absence of a bluefin tuna quota. He also reported that is is unlikely we will be granted a quota as it would involve reducing the share of the total allowable catch of those EU member states that do have a quota".

Recent investment in research on bluefin tuna in Irish waters brings into question the need to demand our government that we take control of bluefin tuna fisheries management in Irish waters and reclaim our natural rights. The west coast of Canada fishes for bluefin tuna sustainably, through both rod and line commercial fishing (limiting the bycatch associated with commercial long-liners and supplying jobs in coastal communities) and through recreational catch and release angling. Angling can be of huge economic benefit and catch & release is becoming more the common standard practices on-board charter boats around Ireland.

There is a requirement for best angling practices for tuna and sharks, as the fish needs to drive water over its gills and keep swimming to breathe or it will die. Angling for bluefin is happening around the Irish coasts in spite of EU law and it is important that this sector it is managed and regulated with animal welfare in mind, while the debate is brought to the attention of our local council members and government officials.

Concern is also apparent since a Spanish longliner was arrested for shark finning off the south coast of Ireland, just this summer gone. Read more here: https://www.orcireland.ie/angling-for-conservation

We monitor sharks and big fishes in Irish waters through citizen science and our App "ORCireland Observers" available to download from our website www.orcireland.ie. We also collaborate with fishermen and charter boat skippers to monitor these marine top predators and ask that records of bycaught, caught and released and sighted tuna please be sent to research.orcireland@gmail.com.