June 13, 2013 — “Wicked Tuna” is a reality television show on the National Geographic Channel that documents the competitive New England-based commercial bluefin tuna industry. It’s also a story of the hard-core East Coast fishermen who make their living off the giant tuna — fishermen who live for the sport.
Count local fishermen Bruce Hebert of East Waterboro and his brother Capt. Paul Hebert of Gloucester, Mass., among them. The siblings are making waves on “Wicked Tuna.” Fifty-six-year-old Bruce is the first mate on the fishing boat Lisa & Jake, working right alongside his 48-year-old brother, Paul. Both men know what they are doing out on the ocean, having spent most of their lives tuna fishing. Born into a multigenerational commercial fishing family along with four other brothers, the Heberts were taught the trade of bluefin tuna fishing as adolescents.
“We grew up tuna fishing — it would be our only source of income in the summer. In the winters we’d go cod or bass fishing,” Paul Hebert said.
Brother Bruce said he caught his first giant tuna when he was about 11 years old.
“I can remember wanting to skip school every September because that’s when tuna fishing is best in New England,” said Bruce.
Their lifestyle and combined experience made them perfect candidates for the show, though the men did not see this opportunity coming.
“Dave Carraro, who has been a friend of mine for many years, received a call to join [‘Wicked Tuna’] as one of the captains,” Paul said, “and he encouraged me to come down to be interviewed.”
Bruce continued, “They were interviewing tuna fisherman from all over the East Coast for the show. First they interviewed my brother [Paul] for all of two minutes. Immediately they asked if he had any brothers, then they interviewed me and offered me a place on the show right there on the spot.”
Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News