Blue fin tuna population faces threat

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Charter boat captains in Virginia Beach say they are watching the threat to the blue fin tuna population in the area.

Captain David Wright has been running fishing charters for Blue Fin Tuna out of Virginia Beach since 1978.

"And off of Rudee Inlet here, was really some of the best fishing on the Mid-Atlantic for blue fin tuna," said Wright.

But since that time, their numbers have steadily declined. Over-fishing, more so by the commercial fishing industry than sport fishing, has taken a toll on the blue fin Population.

Wright says reports out of the Gulf that the oil spill could devastate the species are not hard to believe since the Gulf of Mexico is a critical spawning area for tuna.

"Patterns of the currents, the Gulf Stream, and it's just been historically a very, very important place for the whole system of the life cycle of this tuna," said Wright.

If the oil spill does have a serious impact on the blue fin tuna's ability to spawn in the Gulf of Mexico, it will have an effect on the charter fleet here in Virginia Beach as well.

Associates at the Virginia Beach fishing center are busy this time of year booking fishing charters. Most of those anglers are in search of tuna.

"The blue fin will grow up to the thousand pound range which makes it a very attractive fish...they're a very popular fish because they fight so hard as well," said Wright. "I built my business on fishing for them."

Tuna are a Trans-Atlantic species, which means many countries have industries depending on these fish.

"This could be, could be, a global problem if it hurts the spawn."