Giant fish caught, could feed 1,000 people

A giant bluefin tuna, capable of providing food for around 1,000 people, was accidentally caught off the southern coast of England, local media report.

Jonathan Simper, 59, was about 6.5 kilometers off the coast of Dartmouth, Devon, when his son Harry, 29, and crew member Wayne Adams spotted the 2.4-meter-long fish tangled in the net.

They had intended to release it back into the sea, since bluefin tuna are a protected species, but the fish had already died.

For this reason, the crew brought it to Brixham harbor, where a crane was used to lift it from the boat.

The fish, which weighed about 201 kilograms, was later sold to a wholesale trader for around €2,100. “We’re very pleased with the sale price, but it was an unexpected bonus. It was pure chance something that happens only once in a lifetime,” said Jonathan.

The Simper family has been in the fishing business for 15 years. Bluefin tuna can grow up to 3 meters long and weigh as much as 400 kilograms.

They are among the ocean’s most powerful predators, capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 km/h while chasing prey, while adult bluefin have no natural predators other than humans.

This species had disappeared from British waters since the 1960s due to overfishing, but their numbers have risen again in recent years.

In 2021, bluefin tuna were removed from the endangered species list.

“KORÇA BOOM”