P.E.I. fishermen landed a record 273 giant bluefin tuna during the opening day of the 2010 season Monday.
The landings were so successful that the season will likely close later today for two weeks to allow the market time to absorb the catch and to help fishermen try and maintain prices.
By sunset Monday there were 143 tuna landed at Island ports and another 130 were landed over night into Tuesday morning.
The landings were a record for opening day said a buyer in North Lake.
An Island fisherman off Savage Harbor said this morning that the water was “hopping†with tuna. Kevin Coffin landed a tuna weighing some 600 lbs. Monday and was confident of landing another the next day.
The federal department of Fisheries and Oceans is monitoring the landings and will shut down the fishery for some two weeks once half the allowable quota is landed.
