Recreational anglers will have broader access to a catch-and-release Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery in English waters, the UK government has announced. Responding to overwhelming support for proposals in a consultation, Defra has confirmed that it will introduce legislation in the spring to establish permitting regimes for the recreational targeting of bluefin tuna. This will mean […]
Defra have announced in a policy paper that the UK will trial new small-scale commercial Bluefin tuna fishery. For 2023 the UK has 65 tonnes of bluefin tuna quota, an increase on the quota in 2021 and 2022. The UK will use 39 tonnes of this quota to trial a new small-scale commercial fishery, which […]
MMO – ‘Bluefin tuna in the UK Information on the current rules applicable to Bluefin tuna in UK waters. Status of bluefin tuna Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a highly migratory species which for several years appeared to be absent from UK waters. Scientific surveys and sightings by members of the public suggest […]
Multiple datasets spanning a 16-year period have shown an increase in bluefin tuna, which arrive into the waters of the Celtic Seas and off SW England, the Scilly Isles, and NW Ireland to feed in late summer and autumn according to research led by Cefas and the University of Exeter, published in ICES Journal of […]
The Angling Trust is supporting a two-year scientific study to confirm the return of Atlantic bluefin tuna in British waters and investigate their movements. The Thunnus UK Project is being carried out by the University of Exeter and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and will use state-of-the-art tracking devices to improve […]