Fisheries Day: Tuna

Join us to help celebrate our local fishery – Tuna! Sample locally caught and canned tuna, go on a Tuna Traipse around the Aquarium and learn about our local sustainable fishery! Guest organizations will include Oregon Albacore Commission, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and many more.

Newport's Commercial Fisheries

Fishing for tuna is an important industry in Newport, Oregon! Albacore tuna usually arrive off the Oregon coast in the early summer, following the warm water current from Japan. To catch tuna, trollers tow artificial lures (jigs) on the surface of the water at speeds of three to six miles per hour (4.8 to 9.6 km/h). The fishermen will travel offshore 50 miles (80.4 km) or more to find the tuna  a distance that forces boats to stay out several days.

A good day's catch might be 300 tuna with individual fish weighing up to 30 pounds (13.6 kg). The fish are preserved at sea using ice or refrigeration. When the ships return to port, you can often buy the fresh catch right from the crew on Newport's amazing working waterfront.

Albacore tuna are managed by many different countries. In the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) manages the commercial and recreational albacore tuna fisheries.