Fishermen accidentally catch huge nine-foot bluefin tuna off British coast that 'could have fed a whole town' but strict quota rules mean no one can even take a bite

  • The giant fish - weighing around 350kg - was mistakenly netted by fishermen
  • The tuna died in the fishing net before it could be released back into the wild
  • Quota rules mean caught tuna can't be eaten so it was sent away for research
  • Last week amateur fisherman in Jersey hauled a huge tuna in and got to keep it

Fishermen caught a monstrous 9ft bluefin tuna that 'could have fed a whole town' - but strict quota rules meant it couldn't be eaten.

The giant fish - weighing around 350kg (771lb) - was mistakenly netted by fishermen who were looking for sprats off the coast of Devon. 

UK crews do not have a quota to catch tuna so it remained untouched and had to be sent away for scientific research.

The fishermen's catch comes just days after amateur angler Chris Chatfield, 35, hauled in a monster bluefin tuna weighing 102kg (225lbs) off the same coastline, near Jersey.

Reel-y big fish:  Chris Shears, captain of the Constant Friend (centre) and Craig Wright (right) with the 350kg bluefin tuna, which can't be eaten due to fishing quotas

Reel-y big fish:  Chris Shears, captain of the Constant Friend (centre) and Craig Wright (right) with the 350kg bluefin tuna, which can't be eaten due to fishing quotas

Chris Chatfield, Joe McKenna and Tariq Osman with the 225kg bluefin tuna they caught off the Minquiers. The men got to keep their catch as they were classed as amateur recreational fisherman

Chris Chatfield, Joe McKenna and Tariq Osman with the 225kg bluefin tuna they caught off the Minquiers. The men got to keep their catch as they were classed as amateur recreational fisherman

Mr Chatfield got to keep his catch - and decided to share the feast with family and friends - because he is a recreational fisherman.

A spokesman for Jersey's States Fisheries and Marine Resources explained last week how there are strict quotas on catching bluefin tuna in the UK but recreational fishermen can sometimes keep their catch.

He said the UK quota 'is zero, which means BFT cannot be caught in UK waters by British commercial or recreational vessels.'

However, the spokesman added that the fish could legally be caught by recreational fishermen in Jersey waters, although they are requested not to 'target bluefin tuna' as they are 'an endangered species.' 

A statement released by Brixham Seafish, who snapped a picture of the 350kg fish off the coast of Devon, said: 'What you see before you is a nine foot bluefin tuna.

'Estimated at 350kg they are becoming a common sight in our waters due to rising water temperatures and an abundance of bait fish.

'It's probably worth in excess of £10,000 and would have fed our whole town.

'The French do have quota on the species and do land a fair amount in season.'

The tuna was caught by Chris Shears, 33, skipper of the day boat Constant Friend, which leaves the port in Brixham, Devon, each morning at 5am.

Mr Chatfield (left) opted to shared the fish  with his fellow anglers and then serve up the tuna for supper.
A spokesman for Jersey's States Fisheries and Marine Resources explained last week how there are strict quotas on catching bluefin tuna in the UK but recreational fishermen can sometimes keep their catch

Chris Chatfield and Joe McKenna (left) show off their incredible catch from the same area where two French vessels caused uproar by landing 44 of the species recently

There is currently no quota in England for catching bluefin tuna. Joshua, co-owner of Brixham Seafish, said: 'It seems a shame that we can't do anything about it. We want the quota to change.' Pictured is the catch from Jersey

There is currently no quota in England for catching bluefin tuna. Joshua, co-owner of Brixham Seafish, said: 'It seems a shame that we can't do anything about it. We want the quota to change.' Pictured is the catch from Jersey

What is the bluefin tuna fishing quota?

The UK currently has no specific quota to catch bluefin tuna.

Within EU waters, it is prohibited for commercial or recreational vessels to catch or target bluefin tuna unless authorised to do so by an EU state.

Bluefin tuna is a prohibited species for UK registered commercial fishing vessels. 

Recreational fishermen can sometimes keep their bluefin tuna catch. 

Bluefin tuna is recognised as an endangered species by the WWF.

If the fish is caught it must be returned to the water with as little harm as possible.

In 2006 the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas adopted a 15-year recovery plan for bluefin tuna.

The EU quota was shared by the eight Member States actively involved in catching bluefin tuna - Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Malta and Cyprus.

A quota is a limit that is set on the amount of fish that fishermen can land.

There are around 6,000 UK fishing boats.

Sources: gov.uk and europa.eu

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Its crew, including two teenagers and a deckhand, caught the fish on Wednesday while trawling for sprats.

The fish has now been donated to the University of Exeter where researchers will test it to establish it's age.

The tuna sadly died in the net before it could be released back into the wild. 

Joshua, 31, co-owner of Brixham Seafish, said: 'It's a waste. We're not out to try and catch them - they're caught by accident.

'The bait that he has been eating were caught and he was caught with it and ended up drowning.

'Unfortunately there's no quota in England. It seems a shame that we can't do anything about it. We want the quota to change.'

Recently the British fishing industry was outraged after French fishermen landed 44 bluefin tuna off the coast of Jersey.

The catch was potentially worth tens of thousands of pounds, but the British were unable to land the fish.

The situation added to rising tensions between UK fishermen and their French counterparts who were already engaged in the so-called Scallop Wars.

Bluefin tuna is a prohibited species for UK-registered fishing vessels and if caught as bycatch must be returned to the sea alive if possible.

If dead, the catch must be reported to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), and must not be sold or given away unless it is for scientific research.

The French were able to take their tuna back to the fish market to sell.

Recently the British fishing industry was outraged after French fishermen landed 44 bluefin tuna off the coast of Jersey, in the same area as the huge bluefin tuna (pictured) The catch was potentially worth tens of thousands of pounds, but the British are unable to land the fish

Recently the British fishing industry was outraged after French fishermen landed 44 bluefin tuna off the coast of Jersey, in the same area as the huge bluefin tuna (pictured) The catch was potentially worth tens of thousands of pounds, but the British are unable to land the fish

Bluefin tuna is a prohibited species for UK-registered fishing vessels and if caught as bycatch must be returned to the sea alive if possible. If dead, the catch must be reported to the Marine Management Organisation

Bluefin tuna is a prohibited species for UK-registered fishing vessels and if caught as bycatch must be returned to the sea alive if possible. If dead, the catch must be reported to the Marine Management Organisation

Bluefin are an endangered species and are one of the largest species of tuna and can live up to 40 years.

The World Wildlife Fund says that if tuna were a car they would be the Ferrari of the ocean because they are sleek, powerful, and made for speed.

There are several species but the Atlantic bluefin can reach 10ft in length and weigh as much as 1,500 lbs, more than a horse, and can swim up to 43 miles per hour across long distances.

They can be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds on the black market and one sold for a record £1.09 million at a Tokyo auction in 2013.

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