CHENNAI: Tuna lovers in the city may not have it this good for a while. By the time the 20- 25 day period that began at the end of January comes to an end, gillnet boats that have put out to sea from the Kasimedu harbour are expected to bring in as much as 2,800 tonnes of the popular variety. Tuna (Thunnus), soorai in Tamil, are generally found far from the city coast, but this time they have been found closer home. Sources in the state fisheries department confirmed that there had been a sudden increase in the haul of tuna, almost all of which is exported, from near Chennai harbour.
Already, exporters are picking up the entire quantity of tuna, a kg of which is priced at 80, landing at the Kasimedu harbour every day, said the official. Balaji, a boat owner, said fishermen from Kasimedu normally go as far as the Andaman islands, often staying ou at sea for more than 10 days. This time, he said, they are returning soon as they are getting of plenty of fish close by. “On an average, each boat has been bringing 4 tonnes to 5 tonnes of fish on each trip.