AQUAPHOTO

First Satellite tagging of Bluefin Tuna off Donegal 2003

This photo essay in October 2003 shows the first time bluefin tuna were satellite tagged in Irish waters. Adrian Molloy of Kilcar was the charter skipper and the man to find bluefin off Donegal in his boat the Naomh Cartha. Andre Boustany from Barbara Blocks US 'Tag a Giant' Tuna tagging program, Stanford University . Two lucky UK anglers James Heggie and Richard Fishbourne. Six months after the tagging in March 2004 the tags popped to the surface and located each of the tuna. One off Portugal and the other of the Bahamas proving mixing of East and West Atlantic tuna stocks. Photographs by Shay Fennelly

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Adrian holds the tuna for Andre to insert a gaff hook
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Adrian holds the wire
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Andre prepares to gaff
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Andre inserts he gaff into the tunas mouth
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Leading the tuna up the chute onboard
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BIM scientist Darragh Brown inserts a water hose to oxygenate the tunas gills
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Darragh Brown inserts a water hose to oxygenate the tunas gills
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First tuna fish!
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Inserting the tag beside the dorsal fin
shayfennelly@eircom.net