From CBC
Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) tuna fishermen were back on the water Monday after a voluntary hiatus, and it looks as if taking a break is going to pay off.
Fishermen report both the size and quality of the fish are up, and prices are good. Tuna were auctioning at North Lake Tuesday for $28.60 to $35.20 a kilogram.
â€Talking to one guy out there, he got one out that was 1,100-some pounds (500 kilograms),†said Walter Bruce, chair of the P.E.I. Tuna Working Group.
â€He got three in the earlier season; the one fish yesterday weighed as much as the first three. So If you’re protecting numbers of fish, you know if you kill one instead of three it’s got to be better for the stock.â€
Fishermen voluntarily closed the tuna season in August after catching half their quota. The hope was the quality of fish would improve in the fall, and so would prices. They tried the same strategy in 2007, but last year prices remained low in the fall.
Bruce said he’ll reserve his final judgment on this year’s season until the quota is met, but he is hopeful. There are lots of fish in the water, and fishermen could land their remaining quota within a week if the weather co-operates.
There was little fishing Tuesday because of high winds.