NEW BEDFORD — The story of the giant bluefin tuna seized by federal authorities reeled in media coverage from around the world and made a three-day celebrity out of New Bedford boat owner Carlos Rafael.
Since Rafael's story of the 881-pound fish was printed in Saturday's Standard-Times, television crews and news reporters have besieged the well-known New Bedford boat owner at his waterfront business.
Rafael traveled by limousine to Boston before dawn Tuesday to appear on the early Fox News show. He was also interviewed by the Boston Globe, talked with CNN Tuesday afternoon and was scheduled to appear on Fox Business Network Tuesday evening. The story also went viral on the Internet and was the top story on Yahoo.com.
"I hope I never see another tuna in my life," Rafael said light-heartedly late Tuesday. Many of the calls he has received have expressed sympathy for the loss of the fish, which was seized by federal authorities for a procedural violation. Even though Rafael's boat had a valid tuna permit, the fish was confiscated because it was caught in a net rather than on a rod and reel.
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