Port Lincoln’s newest statue of a tuna poler was unveiled on the 28th of July 2019.
Tuna polers described their work as an exhilarating and dangerous game unfolding in the rough open waters of the Great Australian Bight. This primitive fishing method paved the way for unprecedented innovations and the industry’s transition to aquaculture. The “Tuna Poler” sculpture commemorates all those in the Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) industry that laid the foundations necessary for today’s success. This scene highlights the rugged lifestyle and hard work of the fishing crew and polers.
Artist Ken Martin said “the tuna poler began with the idea of celebrating and making a dedication to the pioneers of the fishing industry here in Port Lincoln, and commemorating all those people who were involved on sea and onshore.”
Hundreds of people attended Tuna Poler statue unveiling, clearly demonstrating the significant role of the tuna industry to Port Lincoln, the Eyre Peninsula and the State
“Port Lincoln economy rides on the back of the tuna fishery”
