Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Return to Britain's Waters

Atlantic bluefin tuna have been spotted off the coast of north-east England for the first time in more than 60 years, delighting conservationists.

Credit: The Lone Kayaker

“Bluefin tuna is a native British species; they are supposed to be in our waters and used to be incredibly important to this region,” said Dr Lucy Hawkes. “Bluefin tuna are also top predators who can only be in these waters if the ecosystems underneath them are healthy. Essentially their presence is a good way of signaling that your waters are doing well.”

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is one of the largest, fastest, and most gorgeously coloured of all the world’s fishes. Their torpedo-shaped, streamlined bodies are built for speed and endurance. Their colouring - metallic blue on top and shimmering silver-white on the bottom - helps camouflage them from above and below.

In the interwar period, Scarborough and Whitby in north-east England became world-famous destinations for game fishing because of the size of the tuna - nicknamed "tunny". The British record was set in Whitby by a 386kg specimen in 1933. Celebrities of the day such as John Wayne and Errol Flynn even travelled to the area to partake in the pursuit, says the BBC. They and other actors and aristocrats were visitors to the Scarborough Tunny Club, founded in the 1930s, and which survives today as a fish and chip restaurant.

However, by the 1960s the fish had vanished from the North Sea due to overfishing and the depletion of herring shoals. Now it’s back and while scientists have attributed its return to “judicious management of fisheries”, others believe that climate change could also be a factor.

Bluefin tuna have also returned to the south-west coast in recent years, after decades of absence.

If you would like to see more photos of rare aquatic creatures around the UK coastline, there is a retired vet called Rupert Kirkwood (aka The Lone Kayaker) with a website stuffed with great photos.