Bluefin tuna industry needs more oversight, Pictou County fisherman says

Afisherman in PictouCounty wants the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to increase oversight of thebluefintuna fishing industry in Nova Scotia.

Harold Bowen has fished out of Caribou along theNorthumberlandStrait his entire life, including for tuna.

One day,earlier this fall,seven dead tuna one weighing 317kilograms washed up on the rocks, Bowensaid Wednesday. Part of the fishing line was still hooked in at least one of them, hesaid.

He says that's an indication the tuna died as a result of improper fishing practices and something he says DFO could do abetter job of preventing.

"Maybe more observers, deck hands, whatever it takes... I know that they've been stretched in resources and you can see in the way that they're working," Bowen said.

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DFO investigated the dead tuna in Caribou,departmentspokespersonKristaPetersen said in anemailWednesday afternoon. Investigatorssent a piece of one tuna to a lab for a necropsy butcould not conclusively determine the cause ofdeath, she said.

The department increasedpatrols in the area as part of its investigation and did not find any more dead tuna, she said.

Because of those patrols, charges are pending against an unrelated fisherman for allegedlyusingimproper gear while fishing for tuna, Petersen said.

"Each year, a certain number of bluefintuna die as a result of the tuna fisheries, accidental catches in other fisheries or from natural causes," she said.

"These numbers are well within scientific parameters established by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas," which sets worldwide standards for fishing the species.

Tuna need careful handling,fisherman says

Bluefintuna was classified in 2011 as an endangered species by theCommittee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. The Canadian government is assessingwhether it should be added to the Species At Risk Act.

There are ways fishing could endanger the tuna, Bowen said. Thefish if not being caught for food need careful handling so to survive being hooked on a line, he said.

Several fishermen in nearbyBallantynesCove have been accused ofpractice called "high grading."Thatinvolves catching a tuna, but waiting to tag it in the hopes of catching a larger one.

Bowen says deck cameras would clear up questions of high grading or questionable practices during the tours.