Ukee - tuna processing?

[Zodiac fisher]

I have a 3 day trip booked for late August out of Ucluelet. Guided. Goal is to get at least one tuna day in, which would be our first time. Fingers crossed for conditions to align.

Not to count our chickens...but if we are successful for tuna, what do you recommend for processing? I understand tuna are a lot more work than salmon/halibut/lings so processors charge higher rates. I called Ukee seafoods and they said they likely won't accept tuna until September. We'd rather pay for professional processing but also happy to get our hands dirty.

So...heads off, guts out and St Jeans depot drop off? Get a mix of loins, candied and smoked canned? At $4.50/lb for processing loins, $6.70/lb for candied, and $4.90/smoked & canned, could be a big bill so worth taking heads off etc. https://stjeans.com/sport-fishermen/

Open to all suggestions! Thanks in advance.

 

[tubber]

I'd study a bunch of YouTubes and drop finished loins at Ukee Seafoods for vac bagging and freezing at 2.75lb.

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

I'd study a bunch of YouTubes and drop finished loins at Ukee Seafoods for vac bagging and freezing at 2.75lb.

I don't believe ukee seafood is allowed to process unidentifiable seafood in any way

 

[tubber]

Leave a patch of skin on? They will skin any fish for a fee making it unidentifiable once out the door.

 

[Old Blue]

St Jeans used to only take whole bled tuna and temperature checked at their drop-off locations about 7-8 years ago due to previous lysteria contamination. They also used to freeze the the fish and ship in to their processing main depot then thaw and fillet. This could have all changed so I'd call them.

Personally if you wanted loins I would just get your guide to fillet them and bring a vac packer and 5 mm bags and do it yourself.
Send some fish to St Jeans and get the hot smoked canned tuna and their smoked lox....both of which are absolutely excellent.

 

[carpeweekend]

They really aren't that hard to process yourself. The key is to skin them when they are still chilled from the ice. After cutting the belly and the back, the skin peels right off. From there, it is pretty simple. As mentioned, lots of great videos on Youtube to show you how.

 

[Aces]

I would call st jeans before you take them in there.

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

Thread 'St. Jeans Tuna Policy'

Sep 8, 2015

Hi Guys,
Just hearing some stories regarding St. Jeans this year... So I talked to Lance @ St. Jeans regarding getting tuna process...... this is the current procedure for u are asked to follow...
SQA Policy for Handling of Sport Caught Tuna to be processed by St Jeans:

Sport Caught Tuna will be accepted for further processing by St Jeans under the following guidelines:
1) Handling on the boat – Tuna should be bleed in a salt/ice slurry immediately after being caught to lower the core temperature quickly. Tuna should then be packed on ice in the round on the boat until returning...

• Derby
• Replies: 12
• Forum: Saltwater Fishing Forum

 

[Zodiac fisher]

Thanks all. I'll report back after I get a hold of St Jeans, tried calling yesterday but couldn't get through.

 

[fishbadger]

+1 on processing your own. . .they are not that much work per fish, it's just that if you really get them going, then there are a lot of repetitions at the cutting board, and you'll get pretty good at it pretty quickly. If you have good access to a good fillet station and vac packer/freezer setup, then self serve is definitely the way to go,
fb

 

[Zodiac fisher]

Just spoke with St Jeans.

They will accept tuna heads off & guts out, but won't accept tuna loins. So if you want St Jeans to can or smoke any tuna must provide whole OR heads off/guts out. Fish need to be handled properly on the boat and delivered to depot freezer iced up (as mentioned earlier here). FYI.

Thanks all for your input.

 

[CBsqrd]

Just spoke with St Jeans.

They will accept tuna heads off & guts out, but won't accept tuna loins. So if you want St Jeans to can or smoke any tuna must provide whole OR heads off/guts out. Fish need to be handled properly on the boat and delivered to depot freezer iced up (as mentioned earlier here). FYI.

Thanks all for your input.

That was definitely not the case two years ago when we tried to drop off head off / guts out tuna. Can’t remember if we called or it was on their website that said they would take heads off and gutted, but they absolutely refused to take them that way when we dropped them off.

As @Old Blue mentioned, do some looks yourself and have the rest hot smoked and canned.