SACGB support Bluefin Tuna Campaign

Following a briefing by Steve Murphy, one of the founder members of the Bluefin Tuna Campaign, the committee have decided to give the campaign the clubs backing.

During the last couple of seasons the sharking community have witnessed the stocks of these magnificent fish increase dramatically and indeed many of us have watched helplessly as one of them has stripped line from a reel with amazing speed.

In 1953 the founder members of the SACGB had the foresight to identify the sporting and the commercial potential of our sharks. The situation with the Bluefin Tuna is similar in many ways.

The SACGB reinvigorated many coastal communities, increasing the income of charter boats, hotels, guest houses, and tackle shops. With many anglers arranging some, or all, of their sharking as part of the family holiday, the benefit to the community increased further as partners and children increased the general tourist revenue. With the SACGB moving to a policy of Catch & Release our coastal communities have continued to benefit from the sporting and tourist revenues arising from the sport to this day.

The objective of the Bluefin Tuna Campaign is to obtain UK Government approval and support for the introduction of a Live Release Recreational Bluefin Tuna Fishery in our waters. 

This has already been introduced very successfully in Canada where a study by the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) entitled, “Reelin in Revenue”, has shown that Live Release Tuna Fisheries have the potential to generate up to 6 times more revenue on a per tonne basis than commercially caught Bluefin.

The study estimated that charter revenues alone generated 100,000 Canadian Dollars per tonne versus a value of 17,000 Canadian Dollars per tonne for commercially landed Bluefin.

A Live Release Recreational Bluefin Tuna Fishery is a winner for anglers, tourism and many businesses and would provide a much need injection of income to our coastal communities so we are recommending that our members support the campaign.

There is much more information available in the Campaign Website which can be found by following this link. https://bluefintuna.co.uk/

To support the campaign, you should write/email your MP and also the Fisheries Minister whose contact details are given below.

To find your local MP contact details follow this link. https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

The Fisheries Minister is George Eustice MP, Cons. Camborne and Redruth.  Minister of State for Agriculture Food and Fisheries at DEFRA.   13 Commercial Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JZ

   george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk

The sample letters on the links below can be used but where possible please try to personalise them. You should also send a copy of the Fact Sheet and the Briefing Document.

Sample letter Angler – Anglers letter

Sample letter Skipper/Business Owner – Skipper – business letter

Bluefin Tuna Fact Sheet – Bluefin Tuna Fact Sheet

Briefing Document – A Future for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in the UK