News

Review: Discovery Channel’s New Catching Monsters

Discovery Channel will air a new reality-based show tonight that focuses on catching massive Atlantic Bluefin tuna in the North Atlantic: Catching Monsters. Discovery was kind enough to let us screen the premiere episode ahead of broadcast tonight, and we’d like to offer a few thoughts on the show. First, as one might expect, it’s […]

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Mexico to Lift Recreational Fishing Ban on Bluefin Tuna

The Sportfishing Association of California (SAC) has announced that through its efforts working with Mexico’s National Aquaculture and Fishing Commission (CONAPESCA) they have received verbal confirmation that Mexico will lift the ban on recreational bluefin tuna fishing that was imposed on July 14. Mexican officials announced the closure in July, but many recreational fishermen understood the […]

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NMFS Receives Petition about West Coast Bluefin Tuna

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced yesterday by way of the Federal Register that it has received a petition and a request for public comment on the petition for rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), a non-governmental organization, has petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce to promulgate regulations to prohibit […]

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Potential VA Record Tuna Won’t Qualify

Virginia angler Howard Webb landed a 645-pound, 98 1/2-inch bluefin tuna yesterday, a fish that bests Bo Haycox’s 2007 573-pound state record by 72 pounds, but Webb’s fish won’t count in the record books. Webb took his fish from waters off the Virginia/North Carolina border. Recreational season for large medium/giant “trophy” bluefin larger than 73 […]

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FAO Releases 2014 SOFIA

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (NAO) has released its State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report for 2014. The report, which is published every two years, provides policy makers, civil society, and those whose livelihoods depend upon the world’s fisheries information about capture fisheries and aquaculture. The 243-page biennial 2014 […]

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NOAA Changes Commercial Bluefin Tuna Limit

The National Marine Fisheries division of NOAA today posted an adjustment in the regulations for the harvesting of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) for vessels licensed under the charter/headboat category fishing commercially. According to the NMFS document published today in the Federal Register  the Atlantic bluefin tuna daily retention limit of one large, medium, or giant […]

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New Record Pacific Bluefin Tuna

On February 19, 2014, Donna Pascoe boated a 907-pound Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) of off New Zealand. The IGFA has now certified the catch as the women’s world record in the 130-pound line class, as well the women’s all tackle world record for Pacific bluefin tuna. The IGFA has not yet identified whether or […]

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Finally. Tuna.

The weather these last few weeks have made fishing off of North Carolina’s Outer Banks less than ideal. And with film crews waiting around to tape episodes of Wicked Tuna, the atmosphere around Oregon Inlet has been a bit antsy as everyone has been waiting for good weather and the opportunity to find tuna. Fortunately, […]

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Wicked Tuna Heads to OBX

Well, the National Geographic Channel has announced that they have green lighted a spinoff of “Wicked Tuna.” They’re calling it “Wicked Tuna: North vs. South,” and they’ll start filming off the coast of North Carolina this winter, with a premiere scheduled for this summer. Producer Craig Piligian tells the 2014 TCA press tour that the […]

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Best Bet out of Auckland? Snapper and Tuna

For those of you lucky enough to be fishing in New Zealand waters around Auckland, Cuvier, Island and down to Tauranga, the word is that there are still plenty of snapper around. The problem is that snapper are in the middle of their annual spawn, and spawning fish are often a bit finicky about eating. […]

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May Day! May Day! Tuna! Tuna! Wicked Tuna!

On October 3, 2013, tuna fisherman Steve McNally was fishing by himself off of Cape Cod when he hooked a rather large tuna–a 650-pounder. Though McNally had landed bigger fish, including an 1,100 pound tuna he caught a few years ago, the 650-pounder was more than he could handle by himself. So, he did what […]

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Bite is on in Eastern South Africa

The word from Saltwater Nation anglers in South Africa is that the fishing is great on the east coast, particularly the areas just north of Durban. Anglers fishing out of Durban have been reporting great catches of snoek (Thyrsites atun), daga salmon (Argyrosomus japonicus), bek or geelbek (Atractoscion aequidens), and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Anglers are […]

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Record Tuna Caught in New Hampshire

This past weekend, anglers Sam Smith and Ned Bulmer landed a 912-pound, 119 inch bluefin tuna–the largest ever recorded in New Hampshire. Fishing aboard Smith’s 25-foot boat The Corsair about 15 miles off of Portsmouth, the fisherman saw the giant tuna on their fish finder just before it took their bait. It took 3 1/2 […]

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Biggest Fish Ever Caught on Rod and Reel?

3 News in New Zealand is reporting that a record setting giant tuna was caught today off of the West Coast of New Zealand. The fish, which was taken to a port in Greymouth, weighed in at 352.5 kilograms, about 776 pounds. Channel 3 is claiming the fish is the largest fish ever to be […]

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Hong Kong to Stop Serving Shark Fin and Bluefin Tuna

In a press release today, the Hong Kong government announced that it would no longer serve shark fin and bluefin tuna at official functions. A press release titled “Gov’t Adopts ‘Green’ Menus,”  announces: “The Government has pledged to adopt sustainability-conscious food consumption during official entertainment functions. No shark fin, bluefin tuna or black moss will be […]

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Canada International Tuna Cup Challenge 2013 Kicks Off

The 2013 Canada Tuna Cup Challenge kicks off this weekend on the southern tip of Prince Edward Island. The tournament will run Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and will include more than 150 anglers from around the world fishing for 25 teams. The tournament has been run since 1967, though tuna catches were slim in the […]

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NJ Inshore and Offshore Looking Good

We’re hearing good things from along the New Jersey shore, both inshore and offshore. Inshore, fluke (Paralichthys dentatus) are still holding well. Though most of them are shorts, there are enough keepers mixed in to keep anglers interested. Saltwater Nation anglers have also been getting consistent catches of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) out to five miles. […]

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More Tuna News

National Geographic News Watch has posted a great story today by Shannon Cosentino-Roush about the tuna trap fishery in Sardinia, Italy. Cosentino-Roush‘s article–which we are hoping foreshadows a full National Geographic essay or television special–is a compelling historical look at tuna trapping methods in three Sardinian villages. FISH ON!    

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Bluefin Tuna News

FIS Worldnews, the news service of Fish Information & Services, a global seafood industry information service, posted two reports this week about bluefin tuna that should interest anglers from across the Saltwater Nation. First, FIS reports that scientists from the oceanographic centers in Malaga, Spain; Gijon, Spain; and the Balearic Islands, Spain, all members of […]

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