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INTRODUCTION Fishermen
in Washington State have been harvesting albacore tuna commercially for
over 100 years. The majority of albacore landed into Washington are caught
almost exclusively by trollers.
Trollers fish for albacore by towing a number of lures or jigs
behind the vessel at speeds of up to 8 knots. Since albacore can swim
over 50 mph they have no problem catching a jig that is being towed at
8 knots (9.2 mph). Fishing typically takes place 50 to 100 nautical miles
offshore in warm currents that travel up to Washington and Oregon. The
majority of the catch landed into Washington is caught south of Washington.
About 20% of the landed catch is actually caught in the waters off the
Washington Coast. Up to 8,500 metric tons of albacore are landed into Washington annually by commercial fishermen. In 2008, 6,300 metric tons were landed into Washington which is very similar to 2007 landings. The average price of albacore in 2008 was $1.14 per pound although, in previous years, the average price per pound ranged form $0.61 to $0.98 per pound.
Albacore landed into Washington was valued at $15.9 million in 2008. Oysters and Dungeness crab were the only other commercially harvested fish/shellfish which exceeded the value of albacore. Oysters were valued at $18.5 million and Dungeness crab at $37.5 million. The value of albacore has fluctuated over the last five years. In 2005, the average price of albacore landed into Washington was around $0.98 per pound with a total value of $9.8 million but, in 2006, the average price of albacore was $0.78 per pound with a total value of $14.7 million. LANDINGS In 2008, commercially caught albacore were landed into 26 ports and cities in Washington with 97% of landings occurring in Westport and in the Ilwaco/Chinook area. Even though 61% of albacore landings occurred in Westport in 2008, that was not always the case. Traditionally Ilwaco has the greatest amount of albacore delivered into port.
Because of the health benefits of eating fish high in omega-3, albacore has become increasingly popular with the general public. Troll-caught albacore are less than six years old and tend to spend much of their time living and feeding in the upper water column and in slightly cooler waters. Older albacore, six years and older, spend more of their time in the deeper waters of the tropics. This behavior difference in albacore creates a marketing difference between troll caught albacore and albacore caught on longlines. The younger albacore, which are caught by trollers, are smaller and have a higher fat content than older albacore. Troll caught albacore have higher omega-3 levels because of their high fat content and tend to have a higher quality meat because they are young. Older albacore tend to be larger in size and have a lower fat content which translates into lower omega-3 levels. It is also said that older albacore have higher mercury content than young, troll-caught albacore. For more information or questions, Please contact Carol Henry. |
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