News that a large bluefin tuna caught in Conception Bay this week will be destroyed and discarded is not sitting well with some people.

Three men checking their cod nets near Freshwater were shocked when they hauled up the 746-pound tuna on Monday as bycatch. They landed it at the wharf in Harbour Grace out of concern it might pose an obstacle for other vessels since the fish would not sink.

That’s when the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans got involved, eventually leaving it up to provincial fisheries officers to dispose of it.

Barry Fordham of the Newfoundland Outdoor Heritage Coalition says he realizes the men couldn’t keep or sell the tuna because they weren’t licensed to do so. But he says just throwing it away is a waste of food and makes no sense.

Fordham notes it’s not the first time a dead tuna has been thrown back under similar circumstances but adds that doesn’t make it right.

He’s hoping for changes that would see such fish and animals harvested in some way that benefits people.

Fordham is also involved with Hunters for the Hungry, a pilot project aimed at seeing all moose meat find its way to dinner tables.