Today, in Canada, Japanese fishing companies hold about 70 commercial tuna licences. There are Japanese vessels that commercially harvest tuna off of the Newfoundland coast. However, there are only about four licences for recreational tuna fishing held by Canadians in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundlanders traditionally refer to Blue Fin Tuna as "Horse Mackeral". This is because Blue Fin Tuna resemble the destinctive shape of the mackeral.

An adult Blue Fin Tuna can weigh more than 300 Kilos. Blue Fin Tuna are designed by nature for speed. They are capable of speeds over 80km an hour.

In the late 1950's and 1960's Blue Fin Tuna fishing became a popular recreational activity, in Newfoundland. By the mid sixties, there were about 40 boats involved in sportfishing
for tuna and at it's height more than 300 Blue Fin Tuna were being caught each year.

Because of commercial and recreational fishing, Blue Fin Tuna stocks have been seriously deminished in the North West Atlantic. However, tuna flesh remains in high demand. The  price of tuna flesh varies from about $20 a kilo to $150 a kilo, depending upon quality, supply and demand.
 
 
 

Blue Fin Tuna fishing was a popular recreational sport in the 1950's through 1970's. Blue Fin Tuna were found in large numbers in the bays of Newfoundland. By the early 1970's the Blue Fin Tuna numbers were drastically deminished. This photo taken at the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club, in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. The 525 lb Blue Fin Tuna was landed by Saff Crummey aboard the "ROWDYMAN" in August 1971.

 
 
 

The Japanese Vessels SHOEI MARU no. 8. and SHINI MARU no. 87. These ships are two of approximatly 70 Tuna boats that Japenese companies operate off of Canada's Atlantic seaboard. Photo by H. Pinsent (1997-8).

 

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