Island 'could become hub' for Atlantic tuna exports

Guernsey's fishing and hospitality industries have welcomed the move by the island's government towards granting commercial licences for catching and landing Atlantic blue fin tuna.

Deputies have approved measures to ensure Guernsey complies with the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, which would allow Guernsey to be a part of the England's quota system.

Skipper Nigel du Jardin said it was "encouraging news" for a "dying" fishing industry.

Sam Jarrold, owner of Sushi restaurant Fukku, said that, if the process was "done right", Guernsey could become a hub for export.

Jarrold said: "If they're able to regulate this well and ensure that the handling process is of the top quality, then Guernsey tuna can get that stamp of international renown.

"I think that Guernsey could, if it approached it from the start with the right methodology, have that really high level of esteem, and I think that would be really important to give value to the stock; but also yet another USP [unique selling point] for the Guernsey market."

Du Jardin said the island had "every potential" to lead the way internationally and compliance with the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) was "welcome" for the industry.

As tuna is a migratory species, passing through the Atlantic and Mediterranean, United Nations (UN) rules require species numbers to be managed throughout the region.

The UK is part of the ICCAT, which is a UN convention, which means it is given a quota of tuna UK fisheries can catch. This quota can be extended the Guernsey.

"This would potentially bring an opportunity to catch something which may just help some in the last few years of their career and obviously for new fishermen that want to take up the the career, which is a dying industry at this moment," du Jardin said.

Monty Vaudin, a fishmonger for nearly 50 years, said it would be a good idea to follow the leads of Jersey, England and France.

"I think it's good news for a struggling industry, but it doesn't solve all the problems - there's a lot of problems still.

"I think the octopus is a big problem. I mean the shellfish industry is very, very poor at the moment. The quality is poor, the catches are poor."

Previously, the marine biology section of La Société Guernesiaise said, while it was not against introducing a tuna fishery, it was not a "fix-all solution."

In the States, Deputy Adrian Gabriel said he would like Guernsey to "go it alone" and have its own quotas.

Vaudin agreed: "We should have our own quota because, if you're tied in with somebody else and they decide to cut it, there is nothing you can do about it."

In response to Gabriel, Economic Development President Sasha Kazantseva-Miller said: "Mindful of how long it's taken to be negotiating with Defra [UK Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs], I think I'm very happy for us to hopefully just extend our participation via the UK and see how it goes."

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