Life On The Line - The amazing true story of the Southern Bluefin Tuna

Our oceans are in turmoil, but the news is not all doom and gloom instead there are glimmers of hope and there is one fish that is turning the tide. The story of the Southern Bluefin Tuna has to be one of the best stories ever and yet very few have ever heard it. Almost fished the brink the fishery has made an amazing comeback thanks simply to cooperation, but how did it turned around for a fishery that is worth millions?
The Southern Bluefin Tuna Three years in the making Life on the Line is the true story of this amazing species. While there has certainly been some ups and downs along the way no one can deny the SBT have made a dramatic recovery. There is still a long road to recovery, but we are certainly heading in the right path that’s for sure.
They undertake one of the greatest migrations on earth, but no one knows about it, yet they were almost fished right to the brink. Today the Southern Bluefin is one of the most expensive fish in the ocean.
With massive pressure on the fishery it seemed destine for collapse, but instead it has turned around into one of the biggest successes of the open ocean.
This is the remarkable true story of how fishing saved the southern bluefin tuna
.
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---------------------------About Al-----------------------
Al's on the water every week filming everything from huge tuna to trout. He doesn't just film topside he jumps in for some of the most amazing shots and crazy action on seriously big fish and it should be weekly on KZbin but Al keeps going fishing instead so sometimes he misses out!
✅ New Videos every fortnight (unless I go fishing)
✅ Subscribe / almcglas. .
✅ And remember to get outdoors and enjoy it!

[@unbreakableldorado7723]

Absolutely stunning documentary, glad I found this!

[@almcglashan]

thanks mate appreciate it

[@dominicsignorile9511]

Thanks! I saw how the Bluefin were in danger of being extinct in Naples, Italy on TV years ago. Maybe I can help there when I retire however, you’re doing a great job in Australia! 😎🇺🇸

[@drew8703]

This isn't actually a documentary -- its just made to look like one. I'm not sure farming these fish is without new problems. Lets take a fish that has one of the largest migration patterns in the world and limit its existence to a tiny pen -- who would think anything could go wrong with that? Also, have there ever been any studies on the effect of catching a fish and then letting it go? I think a fish would be scared to eat after that.

[@jamesohyoung9805]

@@almcglashan Ohio

[@esirawaqalevu7365]

@@dominicsignorile9511 J j

[@stopspam420]

Hoy mates!! I must say that, even before watching this doc, I had noticed the Japan fish markets were not stressed and suffering! Then I saw this and it explained why. So this is a win/win for all. The fish are coming back and the people are getting all the fish they need! Well done to all involved!! Proving that conservation works if everyone does their part. Remember when the birds of prey (hawks, eagles, etc.) were going extinct in the 60s and 70s? Then rules were put in place and, even though at first there was some unhappy folks, the rules were followed and now certain species that were on the brink are no longer in danger! Here again, even though very different, the fact that conservation worked is blaringly evident!

[@almcglashan]

Its a step in the right direction now we need to work on other species!

[@VidarrKerr]

Besides the Japanese, working with the Chinese is the next major hurtle. They are plundering the oceans around the entire globe. I am in South America and our countries here are constantly catching them fishing illegally ---all the way to Argentina. Not just violating other country's boundaries, but also commercially fishing in violation of all regulations of sustainability.

[@rogerramjet7246]

As a young lad from Port Lincoln going to sea with my father tuna fishing in the 70s and 80s then finally being allowed to get in the racks with the men poling to the introduction of Quota systems and per seine vessels to eventually watching it evolve into the tuna farming methods we see today .......... wow what a journey . I loved every moment of it except when the farming started and the buzz of chasing the catch ended as we knew it. Ultimate respect for this dynamic amazing fish . It’s great to see the numbers increasing again .

[@raven_sentinel_]

Thanks for conserving the blue fin tuna, now i had seen big tuna in our port here in Infanta, Philippines ❤

[@unaffiliatedwealth1798]

I must give the Aussies a hand. Very interesting documentary. 👏🏾

[@shanegrayling6728]

Much respect from someone who has enjoyed the SBT recreational fishery in NZ that we opened our eyes to in the last decade

[@almcglashan]

Thanks mate appreciate it

[@InsideSportfishing]

Perfect title for an outstanding documentary. Hat's off to Al, his team, and everyone involved for saving the SBT!

[@almcglashan]

Thanks mate

[@freechagosislandjohnpilger]

great docu, Al is a speaker from the heart, Greed and disrespect, I can tell you as a european aussie, this was the case , just ask/listen to the indigenous mob. take just a few, and biggest isnt always best, Aussies have turned 360 nowdays, the respect i see is truly heartening

[@74_emu93]

This is so underrated. Videos like this should be shown to the world so they can see the dangers we put in to our world that Mother Nature shares with us. There must be a change so we can save our world

[@almcglashan]

I wish sad they only promote the doom and gloom vids instead of what we are doing right!

[@deanohit]

What a cracking good doco, so glad I found this and your channel. Keep up the great work mate, I'm surprised this doesn't have way more views 👍

[@almcglashan]

Thanks mate

[@waynemarr7569]

Such an important story to share. Well told Al. Beautifully filmed and a bit of good news that the world really needs to hear. There are valuable lessons to be learnt here if the fragile balance is to be maintained.

[@almcglashan]

thanks mate

[@GinClearMedia]

Al this is superb, well done to all involved. We've just had the best start to an SBT season anyone can remember off Fiordland in NZ. Fish in numbers not seen since the 70's

[@almcglashan]

Thanks guys yeah I have been watching all the action and now things have just really kicked off down south here too!!!

[@hudzaifahalhafidh3309]

Thank you for making this documentary about SBT, it really helped me understand better on how these fish live and how they're regulated before getting into the kitchen.

[@maineoutdoorsman677]

Way to go Guys awesome job keep up the great work,each year there coming back 👍👍👍👍 Iam a commercial giant Atlantic blue fin tuna fisherman,we have strict quota 1 fish per boat a day ,works great

[@almcglashan]

Id love to come over and film the giants over there such amazing fish!

[@GloryDaze73]

Those bluefins are exactly aware of what's happening...the look in their eyes when they get caught and hooked...😢

[@adambrown2626]

Cracking doco Al, thanks to all the passionate participants to correct what we have nearly destroyed.

[@almcglashan]

Yeah I just hope we can do the same for other species

[@kater192]

I so enjoyed this documentary! I'm currently writing a paper on the bluefin crisis and RFMO response, and this really helped clarify the issue in regards to the Southern bluefin as well as give some perspective past RFMO documents. Thank you for sharing this!

[@almcglashan]

pleasure Kate it was certainly an eyeopener producing it

[@Rakscha-Sun]

When I was a child I was so that sad that everything truly important and exiting to discover had already been discovered. How wrong I was :)

[@dr.pramodkumar4974]

Beautiful documentary,no words.

[@almcglashan]

Thank you

[@roberthandlon1877]

Awesome job in building an infrastructure that sustains the fishery, more of this needs to be done around the world. Really great video, should be a must see for everyone. Thanks.

[@almcglashan]

Thank you very much!

[@sarahlatimer8625]

Grateful for an updated tale of the SBT fishery! Thanks for the informative documentary!

[@almcglashan]

Thanks

[@TheChewbee]

Beautiful thank you !!!

[@simdogg8412]

Massive respect to your hard work and dedication al

[@almcglashan]

Just passionate and keen to make it better for fish and fishermen

[@Orang315]

Now I really enjoy eating my tuna salad while watching this 🍣🦈🐟🐟👍👍👍 🤷 It’s good stuff

[@jonboyle326]

thanks for the complete story and its players i hope everyone is a winner i was trying to imagine a fully recovered fishery

[@almcglashan]

Its a good example of everyone working together so lets hope it catches on!

[@longwhitemane]

It's so easy to be negative about So. Bluefin, but you've put together a great doc that shows how well we as nations can really do great things if we really work together. A pleasure to watch, and I hope that US will adapt & use the Australian solutions to our own troubled fisheries. Cheers!

[@almcglashan]

Thanks lets hope its sets the example for more bluefin!

[@zenpro8164]

absolutely the best ever documentary Ive come across...great job and stellar production!

[@almcglashan]

Cheers mate appreciate it

[@kellengalban1467]

Awesome true story documentary, some well needed good news

[@almcglashan]

yeah we certainly need some good news in the ocean

[@abasyempre7760]

Great documnetary.. hard work paid off..

[@almcglashan]

thanks mate there was definitely lots of hard work!

[@bennyrobles9194]

You guys are the right example for the whole world.!! Hard work,motivation, and now you see the results. It is possible.!!!! Greetings from the Dutch Caribbean.!

[@almcglashan]

Thanks mate hopefully we can highlight a heap more species that are improving in the future!

[@seashurjewelry]

awesome! Im coming out with a bluefin tuna pendant soon!

[@joeblack4436]

I worked a bit on the data side of fisheries 20 years ago, and the rhetoric from both harvesters and consumers was unreal. Sky high determined demand coupled with dogged determination to cash in on the harvest side. Resistance to monitoring was still widespread. It was no wonder things were looking bad. I was convinced such species were on the way out. Had nothing changed it would have been a sure thing. I shudder to think what it must have been like 40 years ago. I mean even a potato farmer will keep some spuds for next year's harvest. The whole thing affected me negatively and to this day I content myself with a few fishfingers a month and cut myself off from news about the matter. And I'm not extreme. I want to eat fish. It was just that bad and I wanted to salvage what dignity I could. I was in that business, because I knew it could work for everybody willing to work together, and I cared about that. I'm honestly happy to hear there's been buy in by stakeholders and improvement in at least that fishery since. If they hadn't nobody would have anything by this time.

[@jillian8485]

just phenomenal documentary, thank you for shedding the light on one of the most heroic creatures of the sea, you did amazing work learned so much thank you for that!

[@almcglashan]

thanks for the kind commets!!

[@chriscorrigan4428]

What a wake up. From greed to succeed. Everyone involved need a medal to take the plunge and turn a disaster around. I'm a fisherman and have been for quite a number of years but was never aware of the possible extinction of one of our stunning creatures. Top show Al.

[@almcglashan]

Thanks mate I just thought it was time we showed something positive for our oceans

[@Reciprocity_Soils]

Marvelous work on the footage and reporting. All people who eat SBT (or anything at all for that matter) must share the responsibility of managing our wonderfully amazing world of resources. Long live the Southern Bluefin Tuna!

[@almcglashan]

100%👍

[@brianaugustine9664]

Love this thank you

[@craiglapham9883]

Thanks Al 👍🐨🇦🇺

[@stephenparsons3719]

Loved it when I was a kid I had the pleasure to go rock hopping with Alen Perry Jon shouthorn and a bunch of legions that keeper the south coast of Australia on the map loved every min of this show 10/10 CAR FISHING IS THE WAY TO GO FOR THE NEXT GENERATION TO EXPERIENCE WAT ITS ALL ABOUT

[@johnh1353]

amazing animal ... probably hundreds of millions of years of evolution to make it the powerhouse of all fish

[@supernachomachoman4031]

Excellent documentary, loved it!!

[@robertsuch3614]

Best documentary I’ve ever watched on youtube, just awesome Al 👌🏼😎 Deepest respect and gratitude from the UK 🇬🇧👍🏼😉🐟

[@almcglashan]

Thanks heaps appreciate it!

[@mikaelesmith475]

Great documentary! Thankyou so much.

[@almcglashan]

thanks heaps

[@wheresjordy347]

Always going above and beyond for all the content you put out 👍👍 Thanks again Al

[@almcglashan]

Thanks heaps buddy. I love filming it more than catch hing them these days!

[@bobbyrain8453]

Very Beautiful video documentary. Loved the musics too. Would like to know the musics used in this documentary. Thanks.

[@-unactive-7240]

Mate Awesome documentary!!! Great! I love your fishing books too mate! I ave a heap of them! You rock🤙👍🤙👍

[@almcglashan]

Thanks 👍

[@hooked_on_adventure]

Great doco Al! I’m impressed that you didn’t mention the “bloody greenies” even once! Good to see Coops making a cameo appearance at the end! Keep up the good work mate

[@almcglashan]

I struggled I tell you 😁

[@OBCBTTB]

I live in Cape Town, South Africa. Post WWII and up to the 1970s we had a pod of huge Bluefins coming into False Bay inside Cape Point. There are photographic records of these specimens. The anglers of yesteryear also spoke of catching young Bluefins from the ledges of Rooikranz during the 70s, possibly earlier. I must reread the books written by Charles Horn to put dates etc. The inside of Cape Point and towards Smitswinkle Bay inside False Bay looks a bit like Hobart, Tasmania in your video. I'm hoping that we will get shoals of Bluefin coming back to False Bay during my lifetime. The big skiboats catch a few Southern Bluefin each year in the deep off Cape Point which they call Big Eye Tunas, I believe its the same species? Our catches here off Cape Point is predominantly Yellowfin and Longfin Tuna. Hoping that those Bluefins might resume their migrational path they had before the overfishing took place. Thank you for your inspirational and well documented video, gives me hope for the future. South African authorities need to come take a few pages out of your guys books, our resources are being plundered and Government seems oblivious to it all.

[@almcglashan]

Hopefully the numbers continue to improve but they still need to get across the Indian Ocean which is still bait lawless!

[@alistairmills7608]

I fuckin' love this documentary Al', bloody big thanks mateI know the science, I know the fishery, I know the places and I know the truth of the story the way you represented it. I know the Merimbula and Batman's Bay Offshore Pelagic Fishing Clubs and rarely in articles in fishing magazines over the past 50 years. You have congruence in every memory I have, recreational fishoes, changed their target species and I remember them disappearing and the confusion, mates sold their boats. That was 30 years ago. 9 years ago I watched the boys down at Port Fairy build a Specialist Recreational Southern Bluefin Tuna Commercial fishing Experiencial Adventure Tourist Fishing boat to take a dozen tourists out at once and for everyone to catch a Southern Bluefin Tuna on a Seven Day at sea experiencial adventure. Cool hay! Most excellent doco Bro'.🙏💪🙌🐟🐟🐟🙌💪🙏

[@MTSportfishing]

i'm in southern California, USA and the work that australia and new zealand has done and the pressure they have put on japan has caused a major impact on our fishery over here. We are having some of the best fishing ever here. I love these fish and am so grateful for the international efforts to save these fish. in the US we have not seen bluefin populations at this level in at least 100 years and what is really exciting for me is this year we got the full gamut of bluefin here from 20-400 lbs which to me means we are doing something right as we are getting more and more bluefin here. the only problem is i had to get all new gear the last 5 years as we used to be a 20-40 lbs fish fishery. but i have gotten to get multiple fish of a lifetime and memories with my favorite crews and make a few friends along the way

[@almcglashan]

Its awesome what we can achieve when the country’s come together I reckon to make fishing better!

[@articlered2334]

Wait till the Chinese and Indians get into the mix………

[@BaitBallin]

Getting excited for the SBT run, so watching this again!

[@almcglashan]

me too hanging to see them arrive!

[@scotttuason5504]

Very well done docu !

[@DrHook-hg6wq]

Great Film. Great photography. Very informative. Keep up the good work.

[@almcglashan]

Thanks mate

[@stinginglizard6323]

Excellent documentary. Very informative and unbiased (as far as I can tell). The videography and scenery was top-notch and the overall production value was very high. Great job and thank you for all the hard work.

[@almcglashan]

Thanks very much I just hope it helps to get everyone together for the tunas sake!!

[@gregbowen617]

Absolutely loved this-a great example of all parties working together for the common good. Well done…!

[@almcglashan]

Thanks Greg

[@peterclark7879]

Great Video great to see everybody wants to see such a beautiful fish prosper

[@almcglashan]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@micknoname6466]

What a fantastic story 👍 And told so beautifully, Al 👍👍 Having caught (and released) my first ever SBT just last week, I’m absolutely stoked to have the opportunity to go out and enjoy these rockets of the ocean 😁. And my god 😳 How stunning was that spot you fished in Tassie? 😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@almcglashan]

Yeah tassie is amazing

[@thegreenguy7268]

They catch Southern Blue Fin off the West coast of New Zealand's South Island... and they are monsters..

[@naimvideo99]

Great. Good luck always brother

[@lucyloose2841]

great little doco...love to see a follow up now to see if those numbers are still growing

[@almcglashan]

They are still going up so far!

[@pthom1508]

Great documentary. It would be great if people ate less bluefin and ate more of the fish we feed to the bluefin.

[@southernwarrior9302]

There plenty of other fish to eat in the sea

Ok....you do that

[@pthom1508]

@ I do. I have a pantry full of sardines and herring. They're delicious and much better for the ecosystem than either wild caught or farm raised bluefin.

[@creativeidiotgf3024]

Ehhhh I like my sushi

[@bigjohnny9759]

Mahi mahi is a great tropical fish to eat and they breed incredibly fast.

[@johnarinalloor4361]

*Amazing Story 👍*

[@almcglashan]

certainly is!

[@reefy2135]

Great Doco, very interesting watch👍 any insight on the recent run of sbt offshore of port phillip bay? Do you believe this could be a consistent annual run?

[@almcglashan]

I am hoping it is thats for sure

[@OutdoorChefLife]

That was great. Thanks for the documentary!

[@almcglashan]

absolute pleasure

[@pain-gb4uf]

hi taku

[@arabarran]

Amazing story! Greetings from Croatia! :)

[@almcglashan]

thanks buddy

[@michaelkleist9482]

Awesome step in the right direction 👍👍👍

[@almcglashan]

I just wished we could do more docs on more species to highlight the good news

[@70stunes71]

Excellent 👍👌✨️

[@shadabAquaticlife]

Great information ❤️

[@aftizzy]

Fantastic work Al, this was a brilliant watch ❤️=🐟

[@almcglashan]

thanks mate

[@shojicastillo9711]

I love this documentary. I also studied at University of Wollongong and walked to that lighthouse countless times to fish there

[@almcglashan]

pretty spot that’s for sure

[@garyrunnalls7714]

Great video, and man is getting smarter. Hats off to the Aussies

[@almcglashan]

Thanks 👍

[@lauras2046]

Amazing story.

[@almcglashan]

yeah it was awesome to produce

[@timhalley6987]

Outstanding documentary. I've chased bluefin in the Pacific near Southern California and Mexico. The Mexican pens were an affront until we were educated to the purpose and process of your great research and management. Hats off to you.

[@almcglashan]

thanks mate appreciate it

[@MiamiSailfish]

awesome

[@joedansereau381]

very very informative thank you

[@almcglashan]

Glad it was helpful!

[@xaviersales92]

This is such a great documentary, thank you Al. I’d love to watch a kingfish documentary next, how commercial fishing decimated them and are now starting to recover. We are tagging 1m kings at the harbour this season consistently, I’ve never seen them this healthy in my 5 years of fishing the harbour

[@almcglashan]

Id love to but theyre are so controversial with anglers fighting each other and government depts pretending nothing is wrong!!

[@xaviersales92]

@@unstoppablezone4980 cool story bro

[@xaviersales92]

@@almcglashan the charter boys wouldn’t like a doco on the kings around the harbour 😅. It’s probably for the best for everyone to not film a doco on kings while they’re still recovering anyway. Would love to fish with you one day mate, you inspire lots of us fishos!

[@almcglashan]

@@xaviersales92 hopefully they do recover but not with the pressure on kingfish stocks these days

[@xaviersales92]

@@almcglashan agreed mate. They get pillaged along our coasts. I think people forget that we share the same kingfish stocks with other states yet rules are different down south and north. I wonder if there’s a way we can make it all regulated as one

[@Tuidkskiwjdhdbd]

Great great film i love fish more than people lol

[@geoffreytudor5674]

Quite a well-put-together effort. Two questions arise, though: how do you cope with the pirate fishermen, those who sail with impoverished or even enslaved crews and recognize neither laws nor borders? And secondly, what IS the spawning life cycle of the SBT? I would really have liked to see what research was being done, and to get at least an overview of the chain in Indonesian waters.

[@almcglashan]

G'day Geoffrey I love to have added more about the life cycle but we just physically couldn’t fit it in. As for slave crews and pirates that’s all high seas stuff and we had no budget for this as this doco was largely self funded.

[@amigaone777]

I thought this was going to be a documentary about the fishing capital of Australia.

[@perrysnopeep]

Awesome video 👏

[@almcglashan]

thanks

[@Metalman1646]

A fantastic story

[@almcglashan]

Thanks mate

[@davidhall1779]

Fantastic documentary.

[@almcglashan]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Tuidkskiwjdhdbd]

Man the tagged fish from satalights is amazing

[@wildfish4ever]

Awesome, Just make sure Stewwy is in the next one!

[@dillberry99]

Please do one on the kingfish traps and the YFT off the peak, would love to know more about if we can bring it back to what it once was.

[@almcglashan]

Keen as if we can get someone to fund it!

[@davidprocter3578]

As much as I applaud the efforts taken to preserve the BFT , I worry that the o0verfishing of pilchards to feed the ranched fish is unsustainable and will lead to the collapse of both the pilchards stocks and tuna ranching. I have seen over fishing for fertilizer leading to the collapse of fish stocks and it's knock on consequences for the local community.

[@shouldbefishin8528]

Great work Al, bloody lot of time and money to that all together.

[@almcglashan]

Thanks heaps👍

[@perseusarkouda]

Great work! BBC quality documentary!

[@almcglashan]

thanks mate appreciate it

[@dushyantathapa2833]

Al McGlashan Lot's of love from Darjeeling, India.,.very informative reel.....more expected....mate..,

[@niloramirez6080]

I love it

[@marlin123ish]

good job on the doco mate. I still remember holding up the fillet you were cutting in eagle hawk. that first barrel when Mat Boulton was with Richard and me (bandit) on pure gold. Trevor Hogan was on your 600r and someone ran over the first fish. haha good old times. I still have that photo of the fillet somewhere.

[@almcglashan]

back when it all started so awesome

[@marlin123ish]

@@almcglashan yep was pretty good. would love to have a fish with you one day. just putt a haines cc together just a little 445 but it's been off the shelf. nothing like your new rig though. anyway keep doing what you're doing it's very entertaining especially in lockdowns when we cant get out. cheers

[@timbutler5690]

You are a good man

[@almcglashan]

Thanks mate

[@Orang315]

This video makes me hungry for Tuna 🍣

[@troygordon4986]

The 2021 Sydney , has been productive. Lots of big fish.

[@paultabone2010]

🇦🇺🇦🇺👍 This is a great Documentary AL thanks for your hard work to show the world 🌎🇦🇺🇦🇺😃👍

[@almcglashan]

thanks Paul

[@mattbass_strait6030]

Well done on the doco. Good news for the sbt fishery. But what about the yellowfin tuna in NSW the golden days of the 80s big tuna off eden and bermagui. Is there any hope they will rebound

[@almcglashan]

Keen as just need someone to fund it which is tough!

[@deemariedubois4916]

I wish a world wide effort like this would be done for the sharks species who are endangered.

[@athulev241]

Excellent work... ❤❤

[@almcglashan]

Thank you so much 😀

[@garyteeley8351]

Nice watch and humble men. Not sure about the comment that the fish would thank the professors more, they would say stop killing us....lol

[@theovanstaden5766]

Amazing video Al McGlashan! Hi from the east coast of south africa!

[@almcglashan]

Cheers hopefully you see them appearing over there in ever increasing numbers!

[@MrShnazer]

Blue fin tuna sushi is amazing.

[@timaustin9060]

Golden Documentary, Thank you for Sharing from Tim In Tassie :-)

[@almcglashan]

Thanks Tim appreciate certainly a labor of love!