Tuna Tales and Fish-Food Facts
By “Awake!” correspondent in Ecuador
WHICH would you prefer, a story or the facts? Well, how about both? How about some tales on tuna fishing for the man of the house and some interesting food facts for the other family member who usually winds up cooking the fish.
This South Pacific seaport town of Manta in Ecuador is known as the tuna-fishing center of South America. At this moment I can see a number of tuna boats anchored out in the harbor. Really, it is an ideal place to pick up firsthand information from the men who are actually engaged in this type of fishing.
For example, did you know that tuna comes in a variety of sizes? Why, one member of this fish family has been known to reach a weight of 1,500 pounds (680 kilos) and more! No wonder certain local fishermen call it the horse mackerel! The skipjack tuna, however, averages a modest 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kilos).
These commercial fishermen are mostly interested in two species, the skipjack and the yellow fin. Of the two, the yellow fin is the larger and sometimes may weigh up to 120 pounds (54 kilos). It is generally preferred for canning due to its higher percentage of white meat. However, without exception local fishermen say that their preference is the smaller tuna, since they have much more flavor and are not as dry and tasteless as the larger fish.
Fishing for Tuna
A friendly captain with whom I talked here is of Yugoslav descent. Having spent some twenty-five years up and down this Pacific coast, he was able to relate some very interesting information based on personal experiences. For one thing, I was amazed to learn how a school of tuna is located. “When looking for fish,” the captain explained, “we keep a man in that lookout post up there at the top of the mast from six in the morning until six o’clock at night. He must have very keen vision because our success depends on his ability to locate the fish. Really, what he is looking for is a flock of seabirds. You see, the tuna are doing the same thing that we are. They are searching for food. Once we find the right temperature of water, and the small bait fish the tuna feed on, we are sure to have good fishing.”
“But how do the birds fit into the picture?” I asked.
“Well, let me describe a typical scene when the fish are feeding,” replied the captain. “Off in the distance, the man in the lookout tower spots this flock of seabirds reeling around and diving down. As we get closer we can see these huge fish just churning the water into a frenzy; thousands of bait fish leaping about, trying to escape the tuna below, while frigate birds are diving down from above trying to snatch a meal on the wing.”
Believe me, as I listened to this captain’s animated description, punctuated with his emphatic gestures, it gave me the fishing fever!
Skill and Experience Needed
Here in Manta I learned that the tuna are usually caught in one of two ways. If it is a bait boat, the men begin fishing right away. This is a boat that carries live bait. These they throw out into the school of tuna to keep them near the surface of the water and in the vicinity of the boat. At the same time, the crew throws out short lines with fishing jigs attached. When the tuna bite, mistaking the jig for a small fish, they are yanked up into the boat. This continues until the tuna leave or the boat is filled.
Or the boat may be a purse seiner, in which case the fish are trapped in a long net, or seine. It is a method that requires a great deal of skill, good judgment and lots of experience. Before letting out the net, experienced eyes must look over the school of tuna and answer some important questions. How large is it? Will it run 30, 60, or over 100 tons? This is critical, as an overloaded boat or net can mean the loss of lives or costly equipment.
Once it is decided that the crew and boat can handle a particular school, orders are given to launch a smaller power boat holding the end of a long net, the average size of which is about 500 meters (1,640 ft.) in length and about 55 meters (180 ft.) deep. Pulling the net out as it goes, the motorboat then makes a wide circle around the fish. Once this is completed, the other end of the net is attached to the mother ship. Power winches now begin to pull in both ends of the net. From this moment on a number of things can happen.
If one side is pulled in too fast, the net can twist and the fish will get away completely. If the water is very clear, the tuna may see the net and swim under it. For this reason the fishermen usually prefer slightly murky waters. However, one fisherman said that he had seen occasions when the water was very clear and yet the fish did not swim under the net. And why? On that occasion there happened to be a cold layer of water down below and the tuna refused to enter it in order to swim under the net for escape.
If there are sharks nearby, they may rip holes in the net and thus a large part of the catch may get away. This happens when a fish gets entangled in the net. A shark will suddenly appear, grab the fish and rip the net in the process. Another experienced fisherman told me that there seems to be something in the flavor of nylon nets that sharks like, as they often seem to bite holes in the net without any apparent reason.
However, many times sharks are trapped inside the net along with the tuna. Then what? They usually wind up as part of the catch. Surprisingly, some say that sharks are not dangerous while inside the net. Different accounts have been related where crew members have had to dive into the water to repair a tear in the net, always keeping within the inside circle of the net. Later, when the catch was hauled up huge sharks were found trapped within.
One fisherman explained it this way: “You see, the shark has just one thought in mind when he finds himself trapped inside the net, and that is to get out. So, he just keeps going around and around looking for a way out. I wouldn’t be afraid to swim with a half-dozen sharks while they are inside the net. “But,” he added hastily, “I wouldn’t do the same thing in open waters!”
Something More Dangerous than Sharks
At the moment that the catch is being brought in, there is something that is potentially more dangerous than sharks—high seas and the tremendous weight of the tuna catch. Handling the weight of 60 to 100 tons requires extreme care.
This is how one fisherman explained it. “As the net gets smaller, the fish have no place to go. They panic and try to swim away. And what a pull that is! Have you ever felt the tug of a big fish on the line? Well, think of what it is like having 3,000 to 4,000 fish pulling against the net and the boat at the same time!” He recalled an experience where another captain had misjudged and encircled a school of tuna too big for the boat. Suddenly the fish bolted. The stern of the boat began to sink. However, at that moment the cables holding the net gave way under the strain. Both fish and a net costing thousands of dollars disappeared and were never seen again. An expensive lesson indeed, but it could have cost them their lives.
High seas are also dangerous, especially when lifting the catch out of the water. Since the boat is floating on the surface, a large wave will lift it a number of feet into the air, but the catch tends to remain at the same level in the water. One can easily see what an extra strain is put on the equipment at that moment. To prove his point, the captain pointed over to his boat where one of the large booms was being repaired. “That thing snapped just like a matchstick when this wave came along.” But then he assured me, “Fortunately no one was hurt and we were able to get our catch in with the aid of a makeshift boom.”
After a successful haul the fish are quickly put down the hatch on ice or in cold brine, and a tired, but happy crew now heads for the processing plant.
Food Facts
When the fish arrive at the tuna cannery, before being cleaned and cooked by steaming, they are separated according to size. This is necessary so that the fish are evenly cooked, the larger fish taking longer to cook than the smaller ones. After cooking, the fish are left overnight to cool. Then the meat is easily taken off the bones and the skin is removed. Next, it passes through a series of sharp knives that cut the fish up into chunks ready to be canned. The solid pieces go into what is here called lomitos or chunks, and bring a higher price. The smaller bits and pieces are canned as rayado, meaning grated tuna.
Here are some interesting facts about the food value of this “chicken of the sea” that you may not know. Canned tuna is said to consist of food matter 80 percent of which is usable by the human body. Its protein content by weight is much higher than such popular meats as beef, lamb and pork. At the same time, its calorie content is considerably lower, especially if the oil is drained off, or if it is packed in water. Also, according to nutritional authorities, saltwater fish, including tuna, are good sources of iodine.
Maybe you are getting hungry after all this fish talk. If so, here is a recipe for tuna-fish salad that can be fixed up quickly. Take a can of tuna, drain and flake. To this add a half cup of chopped celery, a tablespoon of lemon juice, one-fourth cup of chopped sweet pickles, and mix with one-third cup of salad dressing. You can either serve this on a leaf of crisp lettuce, or, if you prefer, have it on toast as a delicious open-faced tuna sandwich.
Another favorite with many is creamed tuna. To prepare a meal of this for two persons, the sauce is made by melting two tablespoons of butter or margarine in a saucepan. Then add two tablespoons of flour, stirring well to avoid lumps. Add a half teaspoon of salt and blend in a cup of milk. Once the sauce begins to thicken, add a can of tuna that has been drained and flaked. This creamed tuna can now be served hot over mashed potatoes, rice, noodles or on toast.
Fresh tuna, of course, is preferred by those living near the sea where it is available. A local favorite here in Ecuador is called atún apanado, which means breaded tuna. The fish is filleted into thin strips so it will fry quickly. It is then dipped in a batter of flour, eggs and bread crumbs. Salt and pepper are added as desired. Serve piping hot from the frying pan and sprinkle over it a little lemon juice. For a variety the tuna can be baked whole. About half way through the baking process, add a savory sauce of flour, milk, butter, salt and pepper mixed with two cubes of chicken bouillon along with a small can of mushrooms. This is truly delicious!
And there is a variety of other ways that tuna can be prepared, such as tuna casserole, tuna patties, even tuna fondue.
Some sobering facts are also coming to light about the future supply of this valuable fish. Here on the Pacific Coast, ranging from Canada to Peru, there are estimated to be more than 300 tuna-fishing boats. Some come from as far away as Spain, the Netherlands and Japan in search of tuna. While the catch has been rather constant, there are other things that indicate that the supply is not as abundant as in former years. For example, now that there are more and larger boats, it is not surprising if the tuna haul is as great as before, if not larger. However, the length of the average fishing trip continues to climb, showing increasing difficulty in finding the fish. The international disputes over fishing rights, something rarely heard of years ago, also attest to the increasing demand and shrinking supply.
So the tale of the tuna fisherman does not seem to have a happy future, at least for the present. What the solution is to his and other pressing problems is a subject that will have to be talked about on another occasion. At that time, we will have to come back to Manta here in Ecuador, for it will continue to be an important center of facts and information on the tuna industry.