A three-year research programme, co-designed by scientists, policymakers, recreational anglers, skippers and conservationists, to unlock understanding of Bluefin Tuna (BFT) populations in English waters has been deemed a success or a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to understand these remarkable top predators; leaving a valuable legacy of high welfare standards and professional skills to inform a future sustainable recreational BFT fishery, in addition to bringing economic benefits to coastal communities.

In addition to providing important scientific data, CatcH And Release Tagging Programme (CHART) brought valuable economic benefits to coastal communities, by attracting recreational anglers to engage with this iconic sportfish and boosting local tourism. A socio-economic survey of participating anglers and skippers was conducted in 2022, enabling Cefas to estimate the Programme’s economic impact. Based on the survey responses from participating anglers, 80% of the spending from anglers was local and generated a total economic impact of £2.6 million, providing £733k of Gross Value Added (GVA) and supporting approximately 34 full-time employment (FTE) positions bringing in much needed income to local coastal economies within South-West of England.

Participants of the Defra funded CHART Programme, reunited last month in Plymouth for a final workshop to share the overall achievements of this ambitious project, including a report published today on the Cefas website outlining the impact of CHART, all of which have helped to inform Government decision making in support of a new recreational catch and release fishery in UK waters.

For the first time ever, this programme allowed 15 charter skippers to take paying anglers out to catch BFT legally in UK waters. In 2022 and 2023 CHART was expanded to include 25 charter vessels, operating from mid-August to mid-December. Over the duration of the project 99.3% of BFT were released alive – widely viewed by sector experts, as an exceptionally low mortality rate.

Dr David Righton, CHART Principal Investigator said:
“The CHART project has generated a valuable and robust scientific dataset that provides us with valuable evidence about the Bluefin Tuna population in waters of the UK, as well as a deep understanding of how professional charter skippers and their crew interact with and care for the creatures that they target. The outputs of the project will help to define the standards for a high-welfare, sustainable Bluefin Tuna recreational fishery in future.”