September 5, 2018 — For freshness, there’s just no comparison.
That was the conclusion of San Jose resident Russell Taylor, who ambled up to The Barge on Newport’s Dock 7 on Wednesday to scope out the supply.
“You can’t beat the fish,” he said.
It’s busy times and good landings for the Newport tuna fleet. Daily, crowds gather boatside to watch the glint of steel and the deft movements of deckhands rendering whole tuna into loins ready for the grill or canning jar.
John Kosta, co-captain of the Fishing Vessel Pacific Rim, prepared his boat for departure on Wednesday by arranging ice blankets in the hold to keep the ice from melting. He planned to be back in harbor, selling fish in time for Labor Day Weekend.
“We’re gonna soak some gear anyway,” he said. “We’re gonna have tuna for sale — fresh, bled, iced — right off the dock.”
Sales of albacore have been brisk, but captains report they are having to work for them. The migratory fish draw near to the coast in the summer and fall, following warm ocean currents. The albacore tend to bite when the water temperature climbs above the 60-degree mark, but some years those warmer waters don’t reach as close to the shoreline.