Scientists and fishermen celebrate return of bluefin tuna

Scientists and fishermen in the UK are celebrating signs of Atlantic bluefin tuna returning to local waters, alongside new regulatory support. Ecology professor Dr Lucy Hawkes of the University of Exeter said the population collapsed by the mid-1960s due to overfishing, especially excessive takes of juveniles before they could reproduce. Defra and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) have approved the highest ever quota and the biggest number of permits. The ICCAT increased the UK’s annual quota to 230 tonnes for 2026–2028 from 63 tonnes in 2024–2025. The MMO doubled commercial licences to 30 and issued 145 permits to recreational fishers in England for 2026.