Tuna steaks, sushi, sandwiches, even bone-marrow stock… One of the ocean’s most prized fish has officially landed on Jersey’s menu and fishers are urging Islanders to support an industry they hope could put Jersey firmly on the “tuna map”.
More Atlantic bluefin tuna were caught in local waters yesterday as the Island’s fledgling commercial fishery gathered pace.
Commercial fisherman Les Burt of Crabs Direct hooked two more fish, adding to the 43kg tuna he caught on Sunday, which was the first day of a commercial and scientific trial, in which five boats have each given a two-tonne quota between now and the end of the year.
This is in addition to a parallel five-tonne commercial quota awarded by the UK in a lottery-style allocation to local fisher Shetty Chavan.
And the first catches are already making their way onto local plates.
Fishmonger Dunn-Ross Fisheries was yesterday selling Jersey-caught tuna at £45 per kilo for fillet and steak and £50 per kilo for the prized belly, alongside cheaper cuts including collar and trimmings.
Meanwhile, Jade-S Fisheries – which caught its first tuna on Sunday as part of the new trial – plans to sell its catch to restaurants and privately, as well as through its fish van and Driftwood café at Archirondel.
But why has Jersey suddenly started catching a fish which was once so threatened that targeting it was prohibited? Why can a tuna be worth so much? And how did the Island end up with some of the world’s most formidable fish swimming around its shores?
Express takes a deeper dive…
So… what exactly is an Atlantic bluefin tuna?
It is not the sort of tuna you expect to find when you open a tin.
Atlantic bluefin are the largest tuna species in the world, capable of growing to several metres long and weighing hundreds of kilograms.
They are extraordinarily powerful predators, built for speed and capable of travelling vast distances across the Atlantic.
They also have an unusual physiological advantage: unlike most fish, bluefin can maintain parts of their bodies at temperatures above that of the surrounding water. That allows them to operate across very different environments and helps make them formidable hunters.
The fish being landed in Jersey are nowhere near the very largest specimens – Les Burt’s first catch weighed 43kg – but landing even one is no easy undertaking.
Why are they so prized?
The answer is largely on the plate.
Bluefin is particularly sought after for sushi and sashimi because of the texture, flavour and fat content of its meat.
And one tuna isn’t simply one product.
Different parts of the fish have different characteristics and values, with the rich, fatty belly among the most prized cuts.
Dunn-Ross Fisheries is charging £50 per kilo for belly, compared with £45 for fillet and steak, £25 for trimmings and £20 for collar.
Gabby Mason of Jade-S Fisheries wants to take the nose-to-tail philosophy even further.
“We are going to use as many different cuts as we can because I don’t believe in waste. I will even be harvesting the bone marrow from it for stock, and use the cuts that you can smoke to turn other the products. We’ll serve tuna sandwiches, steak, sushi… you name it.
“As we catch more and more, I think it’s going to be very exciting as the chefs at Driftwood create brand new dishes and come up with new ideas for all these different cuts that are coming.”
Hang on… weren’t bluefin tuna in serious trouble?
At one point… which is what makes Jersey’s new fishery particularly remarkable.
Atlantic bluefin suffered a dramatic decline following decades of intense fishing pressure and at one stage disappeared from waters around Britain and the Channel.
International restrictions and increasingly tight management of catches followed.
Their subsequent recovery has been described as a major conservation success, although catches remain closely controlled precisely to ensure that recovery continues.
And Jersey has had a front-row seat as the fish returned to this part of the world.
When did they return to Jersey?
Bluefin began being regularly spotted in Jersey waters again around a decade ago.
But initially their return presented scientists with many questions: Where had they come from? How long were they staying? And where did they go when they left?
The research demonstrated just how extraordinary their movements can be, with locally tagged fish travelling thousands of kilometres and some subsequently returning to Channel Island waters.
For years, therefore, a Jersey fisherman could encounter one of the most valuable fish in the ocean, but couldn’t simply bring it home and sell it.
What changed?
The recovery of Atlantic bluefin has allowed tightly controlled fisheries to reopen and expand.
But because the species is internationally managed, Jersey could not simply decide to start catching it.
The Island had to become part of the international regulatory framework governing bluefin, establish its own permit and landing arrangements and secure access to quota.
That process has culminated in what is happening this week – which, authorities are clear, is not an ‘open season’ on the fish.
The fishery is controlled, catches are recorded and the trial will help establish whether Jersey can operate a viable fishery while continuing to protect the recovered population.
Five Jersey vessels are participating in the new commercial and scientific trial, each with a two-tonne quota running until the end of the year.
Separately, Shetty Chavan secured a five-tonne commercial allocation through the UK’s allocation process.
Why are local fishers so excited about it?
Bluefin potentially gives Jersey’s fishing industry access to an entirely new, high-value local catch.
Ms Mason, who is also vice-chair of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association, argues that its value spreads far beyond the person who actually catches the fish.
“As Islanders, we really need to support and buy into this product,” she told Express.
“It is about making very small changes to our habits and what we eat, and switching to locally caught fish from a local fisherman can make a massive difference in the economy.
“It is not just about the boat, fishmonger or merchant; there is a whole chain, from hospitality to the fishing tackle shop to the welder who has helped to modify the boat. So many people have pulled together to make this happen.”
There is also an opportunity for local restaurants and chefs to turn an unusual Jersey catch into something visitors cannot necessarily experience elsewhere.
Does that mean Jersey-caught tuna is going to become commonplace?
The first few days have demonstrated that the fish are there, but this remains the beginning of a trial, with catches dependent on conditions and the movements of the tuna themselves.
“For now, we’ll keep it on the special board because it is no easy feat catching one of these and supply is never guaranteed,” Ms Mason said.
Kersten McMurray, co-owner of Dunn-Ross Fisheries, said she hoped prices could come down as the fishery became more established and more tuna were landed.
For the fishing industry, this season is therefore about more than selling a few expensive steaks.
As Ms Mason put it: “Hopefully, we’re going to be able to get a really good level stocked up and meet our quota, so that we can prove that Jersey really deserves its name on the tuna map.”
