Making a big impact: 6½ft-long bluefin tuna is washed up on island beach
AN Atlantic bluefin tuna 6½ft-long has been found washed up on a Scots beach.
It was found by a local on Sunday morning on Bea Sand on Sanday, Orkney, following strong winds and rough seas whipped up by Storm Deirdre.
It is the third time an Atlantic bluefin tuna has been found on Scots beaches, as the species makes a return to British waters.
The fish is native to the western and eastern Atlantic, as well as the Mediterranean.
Atlantic bluefin tuna can exceed 900kg (2,000lb) and are a close relative of the other two bluefin tuna species – the Pacific bluefin tuna and the southern bluefin tuna.
Emma Neave-webb, Sanday Ranger, said: “It was exactly two metres long, an impressive beast. At that size, it’s going to be pretty fully grown
“The weather was awful over the weekend and ideal conditions for something to wash up. The fish looked pretty fresh, so I think the cause of death was natural causes.
“They’re gradually moving further northwards and have been found in the English Channel, and are reappearing in Scottish waters as well.”
Discussing the local reaction on Sanday, which has a population of about 500 people, Ms Neave-webb said: “Everybody’s been amazed. It was a bit of a tourist attraction yesterday. It’s been the talk of the island for the day, but we’re hoping to go back to it tomorrow to weigh it and dissect it for any signs of plastic pollution.”
In October, a 6ft-long, 245lb bluefin tuna was found washed up at a beach in Culross, Fife, and last month another was discovered on Tolsta beach, Lewis.
John Hourston, founder of the Blue Planet Society, said: “Bluefin tuna have only recently returned to British waters since around 2013, but it’s extremely rare for one to be washed up in Orkney.
“They used to be common in British shores around the 1920s and 30s, but people aren’t sure why they disappeared.