The Sport Tuna Fishing Museum and Interpretive Centre is located on Route #334 Lower Wedgeport, approximately 20 minutes from Yarmouth, next to the world famous Tuna Wharf. The museum opened its doors in 1996 in the Acadian village of Wedgeport which was settled in 1767 by returning Acadians deported from Nova Scotia to the Boston area and was once known as the Sport Tuna Fishing Capital of the world. There are hundreds of mementos, photos, and trophies, fishing rods, mock tuna boat, etc. The museum also features other exhibits including a fish tank, touch tank, Acadian history, Wedgeport general history, fishing videos, and a 31.5 lb (14.3 kg) lobster on site. And when you get hungry Small Fry's Restaurant is located right next door to the museum.
Enjoy the scenery and wildlife of the Tusket River Estuary, barrier-beach ponds, a mixed-wood forest, eelgrass mud-flats, coastal marshes, sandy and rocky shores, and the Tusket Islands. Keep your eyes open to see fish and crabs, ospreys, eagles, herons, ducks and geese, a variety of small birds, mink, otter, muskrat, and even a rabbit if you are quiet. An observation deck is available for those who want to explore at a higher point. There is also a section of boardwalk overlooking Goose Bay
The museum opens for the season mid-June until mid-September, daily until 6:00 PM. However, special arrangements can be made off season by contacting the museum for availability. Groups are also encouraged to call to make arrangements for tours.
Come relive the glory days of sport tuna fishing which attracted thousands of people to Wedgeport.
In its heyday, sport tuna angling brought teams from all over the world to this small Acadian community. It attracted rich and famous visitors including President Franklin Roosevelt, Kate Smith, Gene Tunney, Amelia Earhart, Ethel Dupont, Ernest Hemingway, Tony Hulman, Jean Béliveau and many others. The community and surrounding areas were bustling with excitement.
Michael Lerner is credited with bringing sports fishermen from around the world to Wedgeport. In 1935, he stayed here for 8 days and landed 21 tuna weighing in at 5,526 pounds.
After meeting Mr. Lerner, Captain Évée LeBlanc, who was an experienced tuna harpooner and had learned his fishing skills from his father, was convinced by Mr. Lerner that the giant bluefin could be caught on rod and reel. His boat towed the dory from which Michael Lerner caught his first tuna and was the first to install a tuna chair in his boat. Lerner also convinced the local captains that big game anglers would come to Wedgeport to catch tuna and that they must rig their lobster boats with fishing chairs.
In 1937, Wedgeport hosted its first International Tuna Cup Match when teams from around the globe converged on Wedgeport to compete for the Sharp Cup which was donated by Alton B. Sharp, a Boston businessman and an experienced fisherman. These fish could weigh-in at 800 (363 kg) pounds or more and the "reelin-in" could take hours. In 1949, 1780 Bluefin Tuna were landed. The Sharp Cup was. These competitions went on until the late 1970's. Since 1998 The Sharp cup has been presented in Halifax for the Nova Scotia Tuna Tournament which is held every year in September.
In the early 1950's Kip Farrinton, Jr. had an idea for an international fishing tournament for college students. Referred to as the Intercollegiate, the contest was held late August or early September in the waters off Wedgeport. Six Universities from the United States and six from Canada competed each year, with Mexico and Japan as invited guests from time to time. Edward Charles Migdalski, Director of Outdoor Recreation at Yale University, managed the intercollegiate Fish Game Seminar and Fishing Match from its conception in 1956 through to 1976 with the help of Alain Wood-Prince and Bob Crandall. Trophies associated with this competition are housed at the museum: the Tony Hulman Cup donated by Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Speedway, for the team which had the most pounds of fish; the Crandall Trophy donated by Julian Crandall of Ashaway Lines, for the student catching the most pounds of fish; and The R.J. Schaefer International Cup, donated by Rudy Schaefer of F & M Brewing for the country with the most total points.
In the 1940's and 1950s all of Nova Scotia's tourism budget was spent on the International Tuna Match. With the enormous number of people coming to the event, many hotels, motels, inns, and restaurants had to be built. This was an exciting time for this area.
Tournament Statistics (PDF)
Membership Form (PDF)
6th Annual Tuna Tournament Flyer (PDF)
The museum cafe opens the doors around 6am year round. Come join in the early morning chat and watch the sun come up. During the peak summer season, the cafe stays open until 6pm, however, on the off season the cafe is open until 3pm weekdays, and until approximately 10am on weekends.
The site C@P is a free public wireless internet site. Open 7 days a week from early morning to 6pm daily during summer months, but open limited hours in off season.
A few souvenirs found in the gift shop include mugs with Acadian flag and names, Acadian flags, Wedgeport sand, Painted Barrel slates, and lobster crates. We also have a variety of different books on Acadian heritage including: Two Beginnings (A brief Acadian history), A Land of Discord Always (Acadia from its beginnings to the expulsion of its people 1604-1755), The story of Evangeline, Acadia (A novel), La deportation, Evangeline. We also have a few books about Wedgeport, Tusket Wedge, Wedgeport de 1767 Ã nos jours, Man vs. Tuna, Poems and Ballads of Wedgeport, Recipes from the Kitchens of Wedgeport, Images 1900-1960 (School photos of Wedgeport and butte des Comeau), Life on the Tusket Islands (stories and photos showing Life on the Tusket islands then and now).
(Click to enlarge images.)
Copyright © 2008-2010 Wedgeport Sport Tuna Fishing Museum and Interpretive Centre
Last Update: 07 January 2010