It is definitely wintry even if the thermometer is regularly reaching up into the 70's – just look at the clothes that people are wearing. Whether it is a fashion statement or an indication as to how thin our blood has got with such warm summers is unclear but coincidental with the change is a rapid downturn in fishing effort.

Sports fishing becomes nigh on non-existent and the commercial fishery turns to lobsters and bottom species, largely ignoring the wahoo which are surely out still there and the possibility that some tuna might have turned up on the offshore grounds.

The few weekend warriors who are still getting some fishing in are pretty much doing likewise with some nice hauls of amberjack and bonitas being reported along with mixed bags of coney, barber and hind. Turbot also figure in most of the catches over the shallower reef and channel areas. Not exactly sporting but certainly the source of some nice white fillet in advance of the traditional holiday fare.

Other than for those, expect the fishing to be sporadic over the next few weeks and then all but dying out as the dark days of January and February banish all thoughts of fishing from locals' minds. That's the time to dream of the spring and a renewal of fishable conditions and plentiful game fish.

Just recently, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) came in for some more slams from the conservation-based organisations after turning down a call to stop fishing for the Atlantic bluefin tuna.

This year's meeting which sets quotas and other regulations such as size restrictions decided to cut the allowable catch by about one-third. A further measure was to reduce the allowable season for the purse seine fishery which catches large numbers of bluefin tuna. These were contrary to calls from a number of organisations to place a complete ban on the commercial harvest of bluefin.

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is managed as two separate stocks – Western Atlantic and Eastern Atlantic/Mediterranean despite evidence that the two stocks mix quite considerably. In the past, much of the management calls have been to further reduce the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean quotas since the quota for the western Atlantic was seriously reduced previously.

Another aspect of international trade that could affect the bluefin harvest is a move by certain European nations to place the bluefin tuna on the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species. Such a listing prohibits or strictly limits the international shipment of species which have been placed on the convention's appendices. Given that most of the nations that harvest bluefin tuna end up shipping the fish to Japan or elsewhere such a restriction would severely affect their respective fishing industries.

The issue is a lot more complex than it might first appear to be. Scientific estimates put the stock at about 15 percent of what it was prior to the directed commercial fishing of the species. Perhaps surprisingly, this fishery really only became significant after World War Two. Prior to this, there were lots of tuna around and the species was well known to sports fishermen because of the challenge offered by the tuna's size and strength.

The value of the fish also promoted the fishery. With single fish fetching tens of thousands of dollars, the species became a prime target in areas where they could be caught in good numbers. This included the United States East Coast and the Canadian Maritime provinces. The Mediterranean has a long history of bluefin fishing, going back to the time of the Greeks and Romans, but the advent of new high value markets gave reason for further exploitation of the stocks.

The market value of the fish makes this of considerable importance to a number of economies and especially to certain fishing industries. It can be easily understood that those making a livelihood and/or great profit from the species would be loathe to give up their right to fish for them for a period that might extent to a decade or longer. This would also affect other commercial ventures such as those responsible for transporting and marketing the fish. Consumers might also suffer from some negatives. Consider the local ban on turtle fishing in the 1970s. There were plenty of locals who enjoyed fresh turtle meat and since then can't have it.

The supposed carrot on the end of this conservation stick is that a complete ban would make for more fish which, in turn, would eventually allow greater numbers to be caught. What isn't said is that might take a long time, or as other fisheries management efforts have shown, it simply might not happen at all for a variety of reasons.

Another consideration is the fact that the ICCAT mandate is to manage stocks to MSY (maximum sustainable yield). MSY was the by-word in mid-20th century fisheries management. It was a relatively simple concept that made sense – after all, "sustainable" is what every resource manager wants to obtain especially in the case of something that is, in theory, a renewable resource. Unfortunately, this has now been shown to be flawed reasoning. In any case, it is argued that ICCAT is bound to keep the fishery yield as near the maximum as possible. The mandate really does not refer to conservation in the sense that most of us think of it.

Another fly in the ointment is that there is probably a large catch of bluefin that goes unreported or unregulated. Despite the fact that these fish do get into the market, maybe even domestic ones, the overall consideration is that for every fish that is caught, there is one less in the population pool. Enough little drains on the population can contribute just as significantly to its demise as the major recognised fisheries.

It remains to be seen just what turn this conundrum will next take. Will it be an acceptance of the ICCAT measures or will various countries and their respective pressure groups seek to have the bluefin listed as an endangered species? Interested readers may want to look at a recent BBC article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8362168.stm or refer to the official ICCAT website at http://www.iccat.int/en/ .

Looking ahead, the relative unpredictability of the weather will make it hard to organise a weekend fishing trip but there will still be occasions that will please.

Expect the wahoo fishing to continue at least until the end of the year. Numbers will decline but the quality of the fish should remain high. Remember that wahoo world records which were set locally have been caught in November and December. Regular trolling works but many anglers prefer to anchor up or drift if conditions permit. A combination of this and the fortuitous arrival of some robins often provide for some exceedingly Tight lines!!!