By Canadian Press

Fishermen in B.C. catch a barracuda far from its nearest home in California

Jul 15, 2020 | 11:57 AM

PORT ALBERNI, B.C. — A commercial fisherman knew he was staring at a fish out of place when a barracuda landed in his net on Vancouver Island, far from its typical habitat in southern California.

Twenty-four-year-old Tyler Vogrig says he’d seen the long, silvery body of the muscular fish with giant teeth before, but in Hawaii.

Vogrig says he and his father Brian were catching sockeye at Alberni Inlet as part of their stock-assessment work for Fisheries and Oceans Canada when they hauled in the barracuda.

The Vancouver fisherman says the predatory fish was chased into their net by some seals and its tail bore a scar from the pursuit.

Vogrig says they put the weak barracuda in a tank for 30 minutes so it could recover before consulting with Fisheries and Oceans, taking some photos and releasing it.

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Vogrig says his father has been fishing for 40 years and had never seen a Pacific barracuda in British Columbia waters.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2020.

The Canadian Press