Tuna Cowboys
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liberato
Guest
I finally caught the Tuna Cowboys. The episode followed Dinko Lukin, a formerly penniless Croation immigrant, who revolutionized the Australian, no, world Bluefin tuna industry with his ranching techniques, and his top tuna cowboy who was retiring after the season. They purse sein Southern Bluefins traveling from Africa in the Great Australian Bight and transfer them live into two huge towable net holding pens which they tow back to Port Lincoln (near Adelaide) and put them in permanent pens and raise them for the Japanese sashimi market. This allows the two month season to be tailored to the Japanese market that requires fresh fish year round. A prime Bluefin can command over US$4K.
The tuna cowboys are some awesome athletes! There is plenty of underwater action and lots of freediving and some SCUBA and surface supplied diving scenes. The episode shows two catches and includes a storm which makes the tasks even more daunting. The truely amazing parts are the shark wrestling scenes. The sharks are able to gnaw their way into the towed pens and the tuna cowboys, of course, have to get them out. Nothing high tech here. The Blues they just kind of grab onto their dorsal fin and throw them out. The others it looked like they herded into the net where they get entagled. They then slice a hole in the net for them and push them out.
The most frightening scene (I was squirming) was the the expulsion of the Mako. Due to their long hooked teeth they easily get entagled in the netting. So there he was, gingerly cutting away netting from the Mako's teeth. Granted he did let the shark exhaust himself first (an immobile shark is a hypoxic one) but once freed the Mako still had plenty of energy to swim away at high speed. The tuna cowboys seemed to know just how much authority they could display with each of the different species and went out of their way to save and release them (although in other areas of the world you do hear of a more brutal approach, especially if a large White shark gets in). They're probably making six figures for the two month season but it was mentioned that the work is so dangerous they cannot even get any insurance.
Anyone interested in diving would find it interesting. The dive scenes show great camera work. It is a fascinating peek into a subculture I knew nothing about.
The tuna cowboys are some awesome athletes! There is plenty of underwater action and lots of freediving and some SCUBA and surface supplied diving scenes. The episode shows two catches and includes a storm which makes the tasks even more daunting. The truely amazing parts are the shark wrestling scenes. The sharks are able to gnaw their way into the towed pens and the tuna cowboys, of course, have to get them out. Nothing high tech here. The Blues they just kind of grab onto their dorsal fin and throw them out. The others it looked like they herded into the net where they get entagled. They then slice a hole in the net for them and push them out.
The most frightening scene (I was squirming) was the the expulsion of the Mako. Due to their long hooked teeth they easily get entagled in the netting. So there he was, gingerly cutting away netting from the Mako's teeth. Granted he did let the shark exhaust himself first (an immobile shark is a hypoxic one) but once freed the Mako still had plenty of energy to swim away at high speed. The tuna cowboys seemed to know just how much authority they could display with each of the different species and went out of their way to save and release them (although in other areas of the world you do hear of a more brutal approach, especially if a large White shark gets in). They're probably making six figures for the two month season but it was mentioned that the work is so dangerous they cannot even get any insurance.
Anyone interested in diving would find it interesting. The dive scenes show great camera work. It is a fascinating peek into a subculture I knew nothing about.
andreww714
Guest
I looked yesterday... No luck!
Maybe you can order the video/DVD of that episode???
Maybe you can order the video/DVD of that episode???
pterantula
Contributor
When that episode premiered some months ago, I recall looking in vain for information on Nat Geo's site; there was a photo still from the show in their online gallery, but nothing on the program or whether copies could be purchased.
You listening, Nat Geo? I'll buy one, right now.....
You listening, Nat Geo? I'll buy one, right now.....
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