062367 TUNA BOATS LEAVE A large portion of San Diego’s tunaboat fleet was making a hasty exodus from the harbor today to beat a deadline on yellowfin fishing. After twelve noon tomorrow, vessels won’t be allowed to put to sea in search of yellowfin. The early closure comes three months before the cutoff date observed last year. According to the American Tunaboat Association, this will result in a $13.25 million loss to the San Diego economy. Association manager August Felando says 50 percent of the San Diego vessels may lose money this year because of the earlier closure and because of depressed prices for tuna. Boats at sea by the deadline will be allowed to make one more haul. That meant some hasty goodbyes today for some of the fishermen and their families. Cannery workers are keeping busy too, getting ready for the expected rush. The early closure is aimed at preserving the yellowfin species. CBS 8 is the local source for San Diego breaking news and top story headlines. Get the latest local San Diego TV news, sports, weather and more. More from CBS 8: Website: https://www.cbs8.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBS8 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/News8 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbs8