Bluefin tuna caught in North Sea for first time since 1939

A 746-pound Atlantic bluefin tuna was caught and landed at the fishing port of Whitby in North Yorkshire, marking the first time such a specimen has been recorded in the North Sea since 1939.

The catch was made by the crew of the fishing vessel Dominator. Conservationists and anglers view the event as a sign of recovering North Sea ecosystems. While bluefin tuna were once abundant in the region, they disappeared from the North Sea in the 1960s due to the overfishing of herring stocks.

In recent years, the species has seen a resurgence in the waters off the southwest coast of England, and this latest catch suggests they are returning to the North Sea in significant numbers. Under strict regulations from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), only a limited number of vessels are licensed to catch a small quota of these fish.