Fishing: Wales' bluefin tuna catching plan delay criticised

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is one of the fastest fish in the world and can reach speeds of more than 40mph

Fishermen hoping to catch, tag and release giant bluefin tuna said they have been treated with "no respect" by the Welsh government.

No announcement has been made on whether Welsh anglers can catch the fish, despite a scheme being approved in England.

There are concerns anglers may have missed the boat as tuna season nears.

The Welsh government said it was in the process of finalising details for a pilot project.

Famed for their size and speed in the water, shoals of Atlantic bluefin tuna have been spotted around the UK in recent years between late July and December - including off the west Wales coast.

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Recreational anglers say allowing them to catch and tag a limited number of tuna before releasing them would help scientists study the species, while offering an economic boost to coastal communities.

The UK government announced in April it was giving the go-ahead for a tuna catch and release tagging (Chart) programme to run from 16 August to 17 November in England.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said there was "a very good case" for allowing a "small, modest, recreational allowance".

The Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers has been in discussions with the Welsh government over a similar move, but said it was unhappy with the lack of progress.

"Some of the biggest tuna in the world" are living 10 miles off the Welsh coast, says actor and keen angler Julian Lewis Jones

The group's patron, Invictus and Justice League actor Julian Lewis Jones, said: "We're two weeks, if you like, from the start of the tuna season and still no decision.

"We're lost for words really."

He said the group was promised regular meetings with representatives from the Welsh fisheries department during a conference call in April but "the very opposite has happened".

"It very much smacks of a total disregard and no respect towards the recreational anglers in Wales, who bring in a lot of money to this economy," Mr Jones said.

He said the delay could result in a "massive missed opportunity" as time is needed to train and license skippers to get the study up and running.

Andrew Alsop accidentally caught a giant bluefin tuna off the Pembrokeshire coast in 2017, and put it back in the sea

Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd Cefin Campbell said he hoped for a "positive response" in the coming days.

He said: "By dragging our feet we're in real danger of missing out - the advantages are immense, really, and not only to marine science.

"Fishermen love fishing for these wonderful game fish, so there are obviously socio-economic advantages to the west coast of Wales where they're becoming quite prominent."

However, others, including the Wildlife Trusts have urged caution, while a petition to halt the plans in England has attracted nearly 183,000 signatures.

Speaking in April, Joan Edwards, policy director for the Wildlife Trusts, warned 80% of the bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean had been lost over the past 50 to 60 years, adding: "I don't think we should be catching them".

The Welsh government said it was "finalising details for a new tuna Chart pilot project in Wales this year".

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