High fuel prices likely to hurt West Coast albacore fleet

摘要

As the West Coast albacore tuna trolling season approached in mid-June, both U.S. and Canadian albacore fishermen hoped for a good season but worried about high fuel prices and treaty impacts on future seasons. Wayne Heikkila, executive director of the Western Fishboat Owners Association, said in late June that he did not anticipate any albacore fishing to be really happening to any extent until well into July this year. The water was still too cool, and high fuel prices discouraged fishermen from prospecting, he said.