Venice Tuna Club team wins Big Fish award at TunIstra competition

The Nonno Perro team, representing the Venice Tuna Club of Jesolo, secured third place overall at the TunIstra - Big Game Fishing Poreč 2026 competition held in Poreč, Croatia. The team, composed of Riccardo Manzan, Mattia Pavanetto, Alessandro Barbuio, and Riccardo Maccatrozzo, also won the ‘Big Fish’ award.

The award-winning catch was a red tuna weighing 160.78 kilograms, which was noted as the largest fish caught in Croatian competitions during 2026. The struggle to reel in the tuna lasted 36 minutes, testing the technical coordination and endurance of the crew.

Now in its eighth edition, TunIstra serves as a selection event for the World Championship. The competition follows a catch-and-release system for certain specimens to promote sustainable fishing. During the event, a total of 34 fish were caught, including four tuna released under catch-and-release protocols, alongside 23 albacore and seven red tuna totaling 724.95 kilograms.