Giant tuna puts coastal town in global spotlight after 230kg catch
A team of anglers has become part of a fishing phenomenon that has drawn fishers from across Australia, sent records tumbling, and put a small coastal town in Victoria's east in the spotlight.
Off the coast of Lakes Entrance, about 300 kilometres from Melbourne, giant tuna, some weighing more than 200 kilograms, are turning the waters into a fishing hotspot.
Lakes Charter Fishing owner Ricky Grech was among the first to catch one of the giant tuna, landing one weighing 154kg while out fishing with his 10-year-old son Oliver last month.
From there, more anglers continued to reel in record numbers, varying from 140kg to 190kg.
Belinda Brogna recently reeled in a tuna at 204kg at Lakes Entrance. (Supplied: Lakes Charter Fishing)
'Fish of a lifetime'
The largest fish weighing 231kg was caught on Sunday by a team of five fishers calling themselves the A Team.
The Gippsland Lakes Fishing Club said the catch was a club record.
"Who's going to bring in the next one?" Mr Grech said.
Back on shore, car parks were filling with boat trailers and accommodation was in demand.
Tristan Rodgers (right) caught a tuna weighing 217kg. (Supplied: Facebook (Starlo Gets Reel))
Mr Grech said the scale of the activity was unlike anything he had experienced before.
"It's something that I don't think we've really seen so big and phenomenal in Lakes Entrance," he said.
"I think there was well over 150 boats.
"I spoke to one of the fisheries officers and he says it's busier than Easter."
Mr Grech said it was thrilling to hear the record kept getting broken as well.
"I understand it's a fish of a lifetime for some people, so go for it,"
he said.
Small town spotlight
The influx of anglers has also brought a surge in tourism to Lakes Entrance, with visitors travelling from Sydney, Queensland, Adelaide and Western Australia.
Mr Grech said the flow-on effects were being felt across the town.
"It was unbelievable. [People were] going out for dinner, pizza shops getting booked … Airbnbs and tackle shops being called," he said.
"It all matters for a small regional town."
Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) manager of recreational fisheries Taylor Hunt said the town had become a hub for anglers chasing the extraordinary fish.
Fishers have been reeling in large tuna near Lakes Entrance over the past few weeks. (Supplied: Lakes Charter Fishing)
"It's a buzz for the fishing community," Dr Hunt said.
"It's hard to get a car park; there are so many boat trailers there."
Suspected Pacific bluefin catches
Earlier this month, the CSIRO confirmed two tuna caught off Western Port Bay in July were Pacific bluefin, the first genetically confirmed fish of the species in Victorian waters.
CSIRO principal research scientist Peter Grewe said further analysis had strengthened confidence in the identification of the two fish.
"I'm extremely confident in these results following a secondary forensic-grade sequencing analysis further confirming our initial quick species ID test," Dr Grewe said.
Researchers are now working to establish whether the monster fish off Lakes Entrance are also Pacific bluefin.
A map illustrating the migration patterns of Pacific bluefin tuna across the Pacific Ocean, including their movements towards Australia and New Zealand. (Supplied: NOAA Fisheries Service)
Dr Grewe said the discovery also highlighted the value of information shared by recreational fishers.
"Information from people out on the water every day is invaluable to scientists," Dr Grewe said.
"Fishers are a wealth of knowledge; they see unusual things, they tell great anecdotes."
Dr Hunt said the suspected Pacific bluefin tuna caught off Lakes Entrance had features that distinguished them from the southern bluefin tuna more commonly caught in Victoria.
"And they look just like Pacific bluefin tuna, but we haven't confirmed that with the genetic testing yet," he said.
"But it looks highly likely they are because they've got some anatomical features which sort of set them apart from our regular southern bluefin tuna.
"They're very rare [in Australia]."
Fishers have travelled from across Australia to be part of the action. (Supplied: Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA))
Researchers are collecting genetic samples and otoliths, or ear stones, including fish ear bones that can help determine their age, with recreational fishers and charter operators contributing to the research.
Discovery remains a mystery
Dr Hunt said why the tuna had appeared in such numbers off Lakes Entrance's coast remained a mystery.
He said the region's marine environment still held plenty of surprises.
"The eyes of the fishing community right now are on Lakes Entrance because it's just been amazing," he said.
"And it certainly sparks my sense of adventure to get down there and get on the water."
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