AMATEUR fishermen keen to follow in the footsteps of an enthusiast’s lucky catch are being warned by coastguards following two emergencies off the coast.

The catching of a northern bluefin tuna off Portland has created a buzz in the fishing community and is likely to see an influx of anglers and spear fishermen to the Dorset coast.

Coastguards have already dealt with two spear fishing incidents since the news broke and are advising any visitors to take care.

Rescuers were contacted by the concerned skipper of a yacht who said he had just had a near-miss in the Portland Race with a spear fishermen returning from a dive.

The fisherman, who surfaced close to the yacht as it passed, was not using a surface marker buoy and his friends on the boat he was with had temporarily lost sight of him.

A couple of hours later coastguard controllers were told about an empty boat anchored off the coast near Old Harry Rocks, Swanage, with no sign of anyone nearby.

The dive boat Skua which was in the area offered to check it out and reported that the vessel was being used by three spear fishermen.

The incidents come after Cornwall man Brett Morrison made the catch of a lifetime when he snared a 35lb northern bluefin tuna off Portland.

The bluefin is an endangered species, usually found in warmer waters, and Dorset Wildlife Trust says people who catch them should put them back.

Brett’s catch has excited the fishing community with one interest website reporting the south coast boating fraternity ‘buzzing’.

Tackle company Snowbee has offered a prize to the first person who catches a bluefin tuna using a rod and line.

Weymouth sector manager for Portland Coastguard Rob Sansom said: “We know there is a community of spear fishermen locally who have been doing it for many years and don’t tend to be a problem.

“With spear fishing there are no risks of decompression sickness because rather than breathing gas under pressure they hold their breath on a dive. Apart from the record-breakers most spend only a couple of minutes under water.”

Mr Sansom said people practising the sport should not dive alone and preferably have someone monitoring them above the surface.

Surface marker buoys or dive flags also provide safety cover.

Mr Sansom added: “A lot of spear fishermen know what they’re doing but as the incidents at the weekend show, if we are getting an influx of less experienced people to the area we may see an increase in casualties.”

Lucy Bradley, who helps to run the Dorset-based spear fishing equipment company Crystal Vis, said Portland was well regarded nationally as a top spot for enthusiasts.

She said: “The sport can be taken up by anyone, it is excellent exercise and is environmentally sound – as opposed to dredging which can be very damaging to marine life and the seabed, or large nets that indiscriminately pull out large numbers of fish.”