March 27, 2012 – A Peabody native and a Salem resident for 35 years, Monte is featured in a new series on the National Geographic Channel called "Wicked Tuna." The first episode airs Sunday, April 1, at 10 p.m.
For 10 episodes, along with four other fishermen from Beverly and Gloucester, all of whom fish out of Gloucester Harbor, Monte will be shown in search of lucrative bluefins.
The full cast of "Wicked Tuna" includes Tuna.com (Dave Carraro, Sandro Maniaci, Paul Hebert), Bounty Hunter (Donna Monte, Scott Ferriero, Bill Monte), Odysea (Ralph Wilkins, "Pirate" Kit Vallee), the Christina crew (Scott Prentiss, Kevin Leonowert, Blair Denman), and Hard Merchandise (Jason Muenzner, Dave Marciano).
Bluefin tuna, depending on the quality, fetches top dollar in the sushi market, especially in Japan, but "we are aware that bluefin are not endangered," said program executive Michael Cascio, and "we are aware the fish costs about $9 a pound."
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates, the bluefin population in the western Atlantic is between 21 percent and 29 percent of what it was in 1970.