05-18-2005, 12:26 AM
Albacore Tuna
Thunnus alalunga
![[Image: tuna_albacore.gif]](http://i.timeinc.net/fieldstream/images_articles/tuna_albacore.gif)
The Albacore is more than a popular saltwater gamefish, it's a major food staple. The lower loins are canned as White Chunky Tuna. Upper portions of the Albacore are sold as Light Tuna, a less expensive cut. It's like the difference between fillet mignon and ground chuck.
Sharing a spotlight with the Blackfin, Albacore can be legally sold as "white meat" tuna. Canned Albacore is now supposedly Dolphin Safe, always check for the round Dolphin Seal on the label, but I'm not sure there's a NMFS representative on every vessel.
Such an ongoing commercial industry, employing giant seiners and thousands of people from a dozen nations (there's a Chicken of the Sea plant in Mayaguez, P.R.), attests to the prolific nature of this fish. A large female Albacore may deposit upwards to 4 million eggs.
The Albacore is distinguished from its look-alike, the immature Bigeye, by its white border on the tail-fin. Albacore also have a pectoral fin which is longer than other tuna, giving it the title-- Longfin Tuna.
As a sport-caught species, it has the distinction of being one of the few "heavy" light-tackle fish. Along with sailfish, white marlin, and tarpon, Albacore will attain a large size yet can be taken on tackle designed for 20 to 30-lb test lines-- including casting and fly gear.
Due to the nature of the animal, both Albacore and Human, it's a very important fish, often taken for granted. Albacore are regulated by the National Marine Fisheries Service, currently soft on commercial, and ICAT (International Conferance on Atlantic Tuna), controlled by commercial interests.
Habitat
Albacore are indigenous to all tropical and warm temperate seas. Around Cape Town, South Africa, they are found almost year-around. During October and November, the Longfins pass through the Canary Islands.
In the Western Atlantic, they range from Maryland to Block Island. Because they seem to tolerate cooler water than Yellowfin, they stray further north into Southern New England during some seasons.
A fish that lives in deep blue water, this medium-sized tuna eats squid, shrimp and other crustaceans, sardines, and small mackerel. The Albacore often ranges beyond 100 miles from the East Coast. Off New Jersey in late July and August, it's a fish of the Canyons, often running with the Yellowfin.
In the Pacific, Albacore are plentiful in the Catalina Channel from August through November, depending which way El Nino goes. Very much a California-kinda-fish, the Albacore is caught within sight of the historic Tuna Club at San Clemente.
During the past, Albacore and Yellowfin were the mainstay of the old San Diego-based commercial live-bait fishery. Using broad-cast anchovies and anchovina, the boats tolled fish to awaiting feathered jigs.
The pole-men stood in the "pens" at water level. Using stout Tonkin cane poles, the men heaved the fish up onto the vessel's deck. When big Yellowfin crashed the Albacore's Party, the pole-men would "triple up," using three poles to derrick a single fish weighing up to 200 pounds. Some guys wore helmets-- in a back-breaking activity that was Dolphin Safe.
The romantic pole-fishery was replaced by the modern efficiency of the tuna-seiner and spotter-plane. Yet the old-time tuna-slammers left a legacy-- long-range live-baiting-- with all its subtle wrinkles gained from a half century of commercial Albacore fishing.
Since Albacore often migrate with Yellowfin, see that species for monthly arrivals along the East Coast. Buy your tickets now.
[signature]
Thunnus alalunga
The Albacore is more than a popular saltwater gamefish, it's a major food staple. The lower loins are canned as White Chunky Tuna. Upper portions of the Albacore are sold as Light Tuna, a less expensive cut. It's like the difference between fillet mignon and ground chuck.
Sharing a spotlight with the Blackfin, Albacore can be legally sold as "white meat" tuna. Canned Albacore is now supposedly Dolphin Safe, always check for the round Dolphin Seal on the label, but I'm not sure there's a NMFS representative on every vessel.
Such an ongoing commercial industry, employing giant seiners and thousands of people from a dozen nations (there's a Chicken of the Sea plant in Mayaguez, P.R.), attests to the prolific nature of this fish. A large female Albacore may deposit upwards to 4 million eggs.
The Albacore is distinguished from its look-alike, the immature Bigeye, by its white border on the tail-fin. Albacore also have a pectoral fin which is longer than other tuna, giving it the title-- Longfin Tuna.
As a sport-caught species, it has the distinction of being one of the few "heavy" light-tackle fish. Along with sailfish, white marlin, and tarpon, Albacore will attain a large size yet can be taken on tackle designed for 20 to 30-lb test lines-- including casting and fly gear.
Due to the nature of the animal, both Albacore and Human, it's a very important fish, often taken for granted. Albacore are regulated by the National Marine Fisheries Service, currently soft on commercial, and ICAT (International Conferance on Atlantic Tuna), controlled by commercial interests.
Habitat
Albacore are indigenous to all tropical and warm temperate seas. Around Cape Town, South Africa, they are found almost year-around. During October and November, the Longfins pass through the Canary Islands.
In the Western Atlantic, they range from Maryland to Block Island. Because they seem to tolerate cooler water than Yellowfin, they stray further north into Southern New England during some seasons.
A fish that lives in deep blue water, this medium-sized tuna eats squid, shrimp and other crustaceans, sardines, and small mackerel. The Albacore often ranges beyond 100 miles from the East Coast. Off New Jersey in late July and August, it's a fish of the Canyons, often running with the Yellowfin.
In the Pacific, Albacore are plentiful in the Catalina Channel from August through November, depending which way El Nino goes. Very much a California-kinda-fish, the Albacore is caught within sight of the historic Tuna Club at San Clemente.
During the past, Albacore and Yellowfin were the mainstay of the old San Diego-based commercial live-bait fishery. Using broad-cast anchovies and anchovina, the boats tolled fish to awaiting feathered jigs.
The pole-men stood in the "pens" at water level. Using stout Tonkin cane poles, the men heaved the fish up onto the vessel's deck. When big Yellowfin crashed the Albacore's Party, the pole-men would "triple up," using three poles to derrick a single fish weighing up to 200 pounds. Some guys wore helmets-- in a back-breaking activity that was Dolphin Safe.
The romantic pole-fishery was replaced by the modern efficiency of the tuna-seiner and spotter-plane. Yet the old-time tuna-slammers left a legacy-- long-range live-baiting-- with all its subtle wrinkles gained from a half century of commercial Albacore fishing.
Since Albacore often migrate with Yellowfin, see that species for monthly arrivals along the East Coast. Buy your tickets now.
[signature]