Two anglers have managed to reel in what’s thought to be the biggest fish ever caught in Welsh waters. Simon Batey and Jason Nott made the remarkable catch off the Pembrokeshire coast while in a boat owned by Andrew Alsop of White Water Charters.
They were returning from a fishing trip in the Irish Sea and were around 30 miles off the west Wales coast when they caught the Atlantic bluefin tuna. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
The giant fish measured an incredible 111 inches - more than 9ft - from its nose to the fork of its tail, giving it an estimated weight of 900lbs. That means it is understood to be the biggest fish ever caught in the waters off Wales. You can get more news like this and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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When the tuna was caught it was kept in the water, measured and then released. The boat the anglers were in is one of six in Wales licensed to catch, tag and release Atlantic Bluefin Tuna as part of a Marine Science Program run by Swansea University and the Welsh Government. Welsh actor and keen fisherman Julian Lewis Jones is a patron of Angling Cymru, and he said the tuna was a similar size to that of a large shark.
“By far it’s the biggest fish caught in Welsh waters - the previous biggest was around 600lbs,” Mr Lewis Jones told the BBC. "It’s no mean feat to catch a fish of this size, at that length it’s the same size as a big shark. They are immensely powerful and not something any novices could even try, so it had to be a team effort.
"It’s very exciting that a fish of this size has been caught in Welsh waters. We now have some of the biggest tuna in the world swimming in our waters. The temperature of our waters is fantastic for marine life and if it’s correctly managed we will have this for generations to come.
"Every year we are seeing more tuna and they are returning and we want anglers to come here from all over the world. As fishermen we are guardians of the marine habitat and have a passion for conservation and the environment. We have been working with researchers at Swansea University because we want marine life to thrive. A catch and drop fishery could be managed, sustainable and bring socio-economic benefits to the area.”
The Atlantic bluefin is the largest of all tuna fish and can live up to 40 years. It is known for its size and speed, can dive to depths of more than 3,000 feet, and on average measures between 5ft and 8ft with a weight of between 400 and 600lb. According to WWF, there are three species of bluefin tuna: “Atlantic (the largest and most endangered), Pacific, and Southern. Most catches of the Atlantic bluefin tuna are taken from the Mediterranean Sea, which is the most important bluefin tuna fishery in the world.”
The Atlantic bluefin largely disappeared from the waters around the UK more than 50 years ago, but it is now once more considered to be a seasonal visitor. The bluefin tuna is also considered to be one of the most expensive fish in the world and due to the fact that it is classed as a ‘vulnerable’ species, it is illegal to catch one and not release it back into the water.
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