A bit of bluster last weekend put paid to most angling efforts and the forecasts for today and tomorrow isn’t too promising either. Basically, it looks like more golf or couch potato exercises. That’s the problem with this time of the year; the fish are still out there although in diminishing numbers and the opportunities for weekenders to have a crack at them are also in short supply.Suffice to say that there are still some wahoo, tuna and dolphin out there. Trolling is the preferred technique with covering the water being a good tactic. As the season progresses, the fish generally spread out over the traditional Bermuda fishing grounds and it pays to leave no stone unturned. An unexpected encounter with a concentration of fish might justify staying in one area but, for the most part, expect to stay on the move.The International Commission for Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) will be holding their annual meeting this November. It is at that meeting that quotas are set for various species and some of these outcomes have ramifications for Bermuda. Perhaps surprisingly, Bermuda has long been associated with this international fisheries management body and which enjoys a good reputation as compared with some other countries and territories.As has been the subject of a BBC report and one put forward by the respected Pew Environmental Group, one of the main areas of concern is the bluefin tuna. Although the species is found throughout the northern Atlantic and into the Mediterranean Sea, it is treated as being two separate management areas or regimes. When it was first recognised that the species had shown markedly reduced numbers, measures were put into place to counteract the decline.The notable decline came as the market for the species grew, particularly in response to the Japanese sushi trade. Bluefin had once been numerous along he east coast of the Americas where it had little commercial value, sometimes being used for cat food. As it became apparent that there was a ready market in the Orient and facilities were put into place whereby a fish caught today could be in Tokyo’s fish market tomorrow, the veritable goldmine led to the exploitation of the bluefin on a huge level, hence the relatively sudden downturn in numbers.The pursuit of the bluefin was not limited to Oriental longliners and purse-seiners that started to fish the rich waters of the North Atlantic. There were plenty of Canadian and American boats willing to catch this species in the name of filthy lucre.Unsurprisingly, the downturn in landings rang warning bells in the heads of the fisheries managers so it wasn’t long before “management measures” were brought into effect.For various reasons, the species was split into the western Atlantic management area and the Eastern Atlantic inclusive of the Mediterranean. Although it quickly became apparent that the fish made trans-Atlantic crossings and it was surmised that the populations did interbreed, the restrictions on landings put into place had a far greater impact on the anglers and commercial fishermen fishing the American side of the ocean.Now, the bluefin tuna has been fished in the Mediterranean region since Biblical times with many of the countries bordering that sea having grown dependency on that resource. Many of those same countries also lacked the regulatory agencies and measures to control their fisheries and many of them felt much less reason to do so, given their history of exploitation.The upshot of this has been an ongoing bone of contention between the nations that exploit the eastern population and those who harvest in the west. There have been plenty of accusations of mis-reporting and misrepresentation to the point that there were threats that the species would find itself on the CITES list and that would prevent trade in the species, probably destroying the fishing industry in some areas.Continued decline in the species despite management measures led some observers to the conclusion that more fish were being caught than reported and such practices were undermining the management efforts.The latest findings seem to support this theory and it really is a bit of a no-brainer because the operators of fishing vessels are in the business to make a profit and limits to their catches may prevent them from making one or even cause them to operate at a loss. A little overage probably wouldn’t hurt but when you have a large fish, hundreds of boats and multiple jurisdictions involved, the overall tonnage (and that is the word) becomes very significant.What does this mean to us here in Bermuda? Well, not a whole lot. From old records, we know that bluefin tuna were reasonably common around here at certain times of the year and in relatively small numbers. In the time that correlates with the massive expansion in fishing pressure on the species, numbers around the Island dropped to the point where the mere sighting of one was a rare incident. With the advent of heavier, better tackle, a few have been caught over the years and local longlining effort has also boasted some limited success. Any real reduction in the numbers caught in the Mediterranean will mean more tuna and, eventually, this will affect the numbers of bluefin throughout their range. The problem is that this will take years, as in decades; so most of us might never notice any change. In the final analysis, perhaps we will one day see a few more and maybe catch a few more. What really matters is that the species will be more likely to continue to survive rather than go down the long, winding, irreversible road to extinction.As we move into winter mode, now is an ideal time to try doing some bottom-bouncing. Generally not the most exciting fishing in the world, it does offer an opportunity to stock up on some quality eating fish that can either be consumed in advance of the turkey/ham season (sooner than you might think) or frozen for when you get over that season and on into the dearth of winter when the prospects of seeing any fresh fish are remote.The best bet for this is down on the Banks. Both have been worked pretty hard over the years but they both still continue to produce fish. Remember to use some tough bait like squid or octopus (if you can get it ask a lobster fisherman, they hate the things!) and slip the odds in your favour by using circle hooks. Use at least three on each drop line (five can be better) and keep the baits bouncing once they are just about on the bottom. Something down there will latch on and give you a reason to crank it all up; just every so often, the latcher-on will be worthy of providing you with some very Tight lines!!!