Record 622-pound bluefin tuna caught off British coast

By Elizabeth Hunter

One of the largest ever Bluefin tuna's caught in UK waters has tipped the scales at a huge 622 pounds.

The tuna, known as the world's most expensive fish, weighed in at 622 pounds and was hailed the heaviest ever caught at the historic port of Brixham, Devon, last weekend.

It was sold to Flying Fish Seafoods, who supply seafood to Michelin-starred restaurants around the country.

While the exact price of the fish was not revealed they have previously sold for eye-watering sums.

A 534-pound bluefin tuna caught in Tokyo was sold for 510.3 million yen (£2.4m) earlier this year in a record-breaking sale.

Commercial catches landed in UK ports typically sell for around £14 per kilogram - making this fish worth an estimated £3,948.

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It came in at a similar size to a 661-pound tuna caught by Whitby in August this year, and was sold for £5,000 to a sushi restaurant in St. Helier.

The heaviest officially recognized rod-and-line Atlantic bluefin tuna was caught in 1933, off the coast of Scarborough, by angler Lorenzo Mitchell-Henry, and weighed in at 851 pounds.

Barry Young, managing director of Brixham Trawler Agents said: "Landing a 622-pound Bluefin Tuna is a fantastic achievement for Brixham Fish Market.

"It's a record-breaking fish of exceptional quality and a great reflection of the rich variety of catches landed here.

"With only 30 licensed vessels authorized to land Bluefin commercially in the UK, it's a particularly significant catch.

"At Brixham Trawler Agents, we've already sold over 37,479 pounds of Bluefin Tuna, with more than 200 fish landed this year, and those figures continue to grow.

"It's a fantastic moment for Brixham and its fishing heritage."