Sustainable Fisheries
Albacore Tuna
Albacore Tuna are fast-growing, highly migratory and live in the offshore regions of most of the world’s oceans. In the eastern North Pacific they can be found from Mexico to the Gulf of Alaska. Albacore Tuna mature at five or six years and can live for up to twelve years. The majority of the Albacore Tuna we catch are juvenile fish, three to fours years of age.
Where We Fish
By mid-June, a scattered fleet of American and Canadian fishing boats, including the NERKA NO.1 and the NATURAL GIFT, begin scouting the vast area off Southern Oregon for arriving schools of juvenile fish. As the season progresses, currents and fish push up along the coast. By September, our boats can be found fishing off the coast of Haida Gwaii.
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Finding fish in the vastness of the eastern North Pacific is akin to playing three-dimensional chess in the dark. To help us fish more efficiently we communicate with a number of Albacore Tuna fishermen from both the USA and Canada. We use the latest satellite technology to gather water temperature, salinity, plankton concentrations, etc. Often, though, we rely on the ancient fishing methods of observation, deduction, and intuition.
Processing
Our Albacore Tuna are surface feeders. They come up from as deep as 70 metres to take an artificial lure or jig. Once hooked, the fish are brought into the boat, stunned, bled, and thoroughly washed. The fish are immediately put on freezer plates in the hold, where they are quickly frozen to -30° C. Fast freezing and extremely cold temperatures ensure that our fish maintains its high quality from the moment it’s caught until you serve it.
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When the hold is full or the weather turns to storms, the boat returns to the nearest port. The fish are off-loaded, the boat is re-fuelled and fixed, fresh groceries are brought on board, the crew gets a well-earned night’s sleep, then they are away again before daybreak. Off for another two to three weeks far offshore. This is the routine for both boats most of the summer and fall.