They were soliciting but Initial captures of the red tuna catch
Alan Gregorio Amaral, known as ‘Goyo’, the fisherman who brought in the catches, explains that he was aboard the Great Sun II of the Brotherhood of Christians, which was the first of three to land catches this Thursday, All weighing above 300 (322 and 310 kilos for the other two).
“It took quite a while to slice them,” he mentions. “Initially, it was challenging. However, gradually, with perseverance, We were pulling in one, then another, and so forth. There were a few other colleagues, but they could not catch any. We were fortunate“
The landed catches will be processed by a newly established firm, Atunes eight islands.
Harvest Delays
Goyo notes that this year’s harvest “is somewhat late” compared to previous years. “The islands have not yet drawn close to many of these species. The hope for the fishermen, all of them, is that gradually, more will arrive. The prime months approaching are April and May“
This observation Contrasts with preceding years where the season commenced more fruitfully for the brotherhoods.
By 2025, a limit of 537.69 tons of red tuna fishing in the Canary Islands for 250 vessels has been sanctioned. 90% of this is allocated between the segments of Cañeros and Minor Arts Atuneros, distributing 60% and 40%, respectively. Within each category, the allocated amounts are divided according to the overall length.
The remaining 10% quota is evenly divided among vessels shorter than 12 metres in length.
The first fishing season commenced on January 20 and will conclude on May 30. To ensure better utilisation of the quota in the first fishing season, the individual limit per vessel was increased by 22.5%. Any unutilised quota from the initial period may be collectively accessed by vessels in the subsequent period. The second fishing season will run from June 4 to December 31.
Bait Challenges
The Great Sun II will set out tomorrow in hopes of extending their good fortune, although its captain acknowledges that currently they are facing a significant issue, the shortage of bait. “Regarding the bait, we are quite stranded. It is not coming in, and we are working with the bare minimum.”
Typically, with full tanks, they would operate with a weight ranging between 100 and 200 kilograms, yet on Thursday they set out with only 10 kilos, which emphasises their good fortune with these three specimens of red tuna.
“I cannot pinpoint what the issue is. There is none, we just can’t find any. Today we could only gather more than 15 or 20 baits. That is very scarce,” he stated.
Regardless of the situation, the fleet will return to the waters this Friday to endeavour to catch more patudos, one of the ocean’s finest delicacies.
