Saturday, November 25, 2006

2006 NC Bluefin Tuna Season Shaping Up

Last year's bluefin tuna season was nothing anyone in North Carolina wants to repeat. Limited catches and rough seas resulted in a year bluefin tuna fishermen are ready to forget and the 2006 season may be just what the doctor ordered. Fishermen look for three main factors when the season approaches: large schools of bait fish, cooler water temperatures and calm weather. The 2006 bluefin season is shaping up to have all three. This is an important fish economically for North Carolina, and not just for the $19 a pound commercial fishermen are expected to get on the Japanese sushi markets. Hundreds of boat owners bring their vessels south for the bluefin tuna season and each invests a hefty sum in coastal businesses. Another weak tuna season could reduce the number of boats that winter in NC. We're optimistic about this year and hope to have an opportunity to hook into one of these deep sea monsters ourselves. More on the 2006 bluefin tuna season is available from the Jacksonville Daily News; more on NC bluefin and the Japanese market is available in one of our stories from last year.

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