A
Massachusetts fishing crew accidentally netted an 881-pound Bluefin
tuna, but officials confiscated the huge fish because rules require the
species be caught only with hand-held gear or harpoons. Notified by his
crew on the remarkable catch on November 13th, Captain Carlos Rafael
said he raced to meet the boat in Provincetown, thinking a Bluefin of
that size could fetch as much as $500,000 at a premier world fish market
such as Japan. He arrived to find state environmental police and
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agents had seized the
fish because it had been caught in a trawling net, which is against the
law. Rafael said the bluefin drowned in the net. He received a written
warning for the incident but no criminal charges. The fish was sold
domestically for $55,000, and the proceeds will be held until the case
is resolved. A 754-pound bluefin in prime shape sold at a Japanese
auction last year for nearly $396,000.
