SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — For the fifth year in a row, dozens of fishermen are chasing massive bluefin tuna around the Gulf of Maine.
This year, the bounty is increasing, with more than 40 tuna reeled in just three days.
Organizers with the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza said that's double what they caught in 2022 for the entire week.
"That's what we're trying to do is support the community. We are here to support the trades also with kids coming into the community," Shawn Tibbetts said. Tibbetts is a captain of his own tuna boat and is an organizer for the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza.
The fishermen in the tournament are competing for the biggest tuna. Bluefin tuna can reach 13 feet long and weigh 2,000 pounds.
It's all for a good cause, according to organizers, who say the proceeds from the event turn into scholarships for students.
Jane Humphrey, who is an organizer of the tournament, said one scholarship this year is based on one of their members who passed away from cancer this year.
"Lindsay passed away in February after an incredible fight and journey. She wanted to make sure she made a difference in her community," Humphrey said.
Lindsay Withers, Humphrey said, was a tuna fisherman and paramedic. The scholarship devoted to her name will go to serve students looking to take EMT courses who live in more rural environments.
"Sometimes people want to be firefighters but don't have access to that next step... she wanted to set aside some money to make sure kids can have access to these programs and reverse the crisis we are in right now," Humphrey said.
But as the fishing community for tuna remembers the loss of a loved one, the fishing continues.
More information can be found on the scholarship, along with the continued festivities for the Bluefin Bonanza can be found through this link.