The Sea’s Harvest

Abstract

It’s an early start for a couple of amateur fishermen who decide to try their luck with tuna off the coast of England. It is the beginning of July 1928, and both of them are euphoric because they know that they may be lucky: tuna have been seen in that area since late May and now seem to be abundant. Who doesn’t like to eat a good plate of grilled tuna? It is also Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), one of the finest on the market. When several boats are engaged in fishing for them in the open sea, the news spreads like wildfire and many professionals (and also recreational boats) concentrate on fishing for tuna and opening up a market that, until then, had not been presented to them. In Norway, northern France and Denmark, they are also engaged in this new type of fishing. They are not experts, but they learn quickly and use increasingly sophisticated methods to catch a fish that is undoubtedly elusive because of its agility and power.