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Jersey is in the process of applying for membership to an international body which may pave the way for the fishing of Atlantic Bluefin tuna – a valuable catch which some believe could help revive the island's struggling maritime industry.
Whether the island could – or should – go after the species has been a matter of debate for several years, as the once nearly extinct fish is now becoming increasingly abundant in the territorial waters of the Channel Islands, France and the UK.
And it's a debate that was fired up again after a massive 150kg bluefin tuna was caught in Cornish waters over the last week, and served at Rick Stein's restaurant...
Atlantic bluefin tuna are a fast-swimming and wide ranging species that has always occasionally ventured into UK waters but they became an extremely rare sight through the latter half of the 20th century when this highly valuable species was fished near to extinction.
Thanks to improved international management, stocks appear to have recovered. Atlantic bluefin tuna began reappearing in UK coastal waters in 2014 and since then they have been regularly sighted in increasing numbers around the coasts of Cornwall, and further along the south coast into Devon and Dorset waters.
Pictured: A shoal of bluefin tuna in Jersey's territorial waters.
Thousands took to social media over the weekend to comment on a post from Rick Stein Restaurants which celebrated the catch by local fishermen. A similar catch in French waters caused debate last year.
Their vessel was just one of 10 with a licence to catch some of the limited quota of 39 tonnes allowed by the Marine Management Organisation and carefully decided upon following detailed tracking and research of tuna in Cornish waters to be sure it is a sustainable decision.
Pictured: The giant catch, posted on Rick Stein Restaurants Facebook page.
The MMO then opened a commercial hook and line fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna as a trial small scale fishery. All fish caught have to be reported and data collected will be used to build information on tuna stocks in UK waters.
However, while a project to catch and tag the Bluefin tuna began in Jersey in 2021, the species is protected under the island's Wildlife Law and cannot be caught or targeted.
Anyone found to have killed one is liable for up to two years' in prison and could be fined.
In response to the Cornwall catch, President of the Jersey Fishermen's Association Don Thompson said that "a very small amount of this fish can benefit the economy right across the board, from restaurants to the fishers, the hospitality industry, and the whole economy."
He said the establishment of a small commercial fishing operation of bluefin tuna in Jersey was "an interesting proposition to look at".
Pictured: Jersey Fishermen's Association's president Don Thompson (Dave Ferguson).
Mr Thompson added that the "blanket ban" meant that fishermen could not apply for the licence like boats in the UK which was "an unfortunate situation which we need to move beyond."
"This could be the way forward for us," he continued.
It means fishers would have to apply to the ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) – the international body that manages tuna – to have a small share in UK quotas.
"Without membership we can't get any allocated tuna quota and so establishing a tuna fishery would fall foul of IUU fishing. We are applying for ICCAT membership through the UK but it will take time to arrange," Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf confirmed.
However, he added: "Even if we do get membership, we are unlikely to get a big tuna quota as we are a small jurisdiction and what we would get would be part of the UK’s allocation."
Pictured: Deputy Renouf said efforts had been made to apply for a licence to fish the species.
He continued: "As such, it is hard to see how there could be a big tuna fishery in Jersey. However, we continue work to monitor tuna in our waters to assess the status of the tuna population, and keep the situation under continuous review."
There is another, more controversial, option, however.
"The other case is to outright declare that we do have a right to fish these, which is a radical approach, but that might be necessary," said Mr Thompson.
"Our fleet at the moment is in desperate need of diversifying our stocks, it is in a perilous state, and there would be no better way to do that than to allow one to two boats to have access to a small amount of the tuna. It would be fantastic for our fleet, fantastic for the island, fantastic for renowned chiefs, and could bring economy to the island."
He did stress that no one wanted "an uncontrolled fishery", but the "current situation is not suitable".
Oliver Heart is the island's only fisherman geared up and specially equipped to fish the species.
He agreed that some exemptions would benefit local fishermen and bring a boost to the economy, but said the island should go down the official route.
Mr Heart said: "It would be beneficial, but we've got to wait for the UK to invite us to be part of ICCAT."
If Jersey does get permission, Mr Heart suggested there could be another challenge.
"There is enough fish out there to do catch and kill," he explained.
"The problem here is selling it.
"Jersey wouldn't be able to deal with the amount we catch."
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