Photo: Discovery Channel
MARSHFIELD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A local fisherman is hitting the high seas and the big screen thanks to a new television show.
“Harpoon Hunters” follows fishermen as they compete to catch Atlantic bluefin tuna off the coast of Cape Cod. While most fishermen use heavy-duty fishing rods to catch the massive fish, these captains use 10-foot electrified spears and only have a four-week window to fish.
One of the captains featured in the show is 38-year-old Joe Dion of Marshfield. He said harpoon fishing is difficult but worth the process, especially with fresh tuna fetching as much as $10,000 per fish.
“The whole point is to have that harpoon in the air tracking right towards that fish right before he knows what’s going on,” said Dion. “It’s an age-old artisanal way of catching these things, almost like the old whalers, but it’s really the most humane way to do it because these fish don’t suffer.”
Dion has been catching tuna since he was a young “dock rat” in Green Harbor. However, he was forced to step away for two fishing seasons when two of his children were diagnosed with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. His family hopes “Harpoon Hunters” will help spread awareness for the rare disease.
“My wife and I started the Dion Foundation. We’re funding the first-ever in-human clinical trial that’s hopefully going to happen this winter,” said Dion.
“Harpoon Hunters” debuts on Discovery Channel at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.
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