Indonesian tuna boat captain says he now has to stay over a year in Indian Ocean to hit his target
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Jakarta Post ] - September 30, 2014 -
People should not take tuna for granted. Changing weather patterns and declining fish stocks have pushed some tuna fishermen to spend over a year at sea before returning to land.
While docked at Benoa Harbor, Hadi "Banol" Sultoni, captain of the Permata 32 fishing vessel, revealed the changes he had witnessed in recent years.
"As an old-timer, I've always looked to the weather. These months, it would typically be dry, but then there's a lot of rain. It's unpredictable. We used to reach our target income in eight months. Last year, it took us 12," he says.
It takes an average 15 days before they reach the fishing grounds in the Indian Ocean below Indonesia, as far as 30 degrees south of the equator (on the same latitude as South Australia).
Their catch includes yellowfin, bigeye and albacore tuna, as well as swordfish. The catch is frozen and compiled by a collecting boat, which brings fuel, food and other supplies to the crew.
To Read Full Story Login Below.