UK told to stick to EU fishing ban on bluefin tuna after Brexit despite schools spotted

But a study by British marine biologist Dr Richard Kirby, formerly of Plymouth University, and the University of Lille, found the fish are coming further northward because of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), which increases sea temperatures in a 60 – 120 year cycle.

He said: “Bluefin tuna have been extensively overfished and the recent changes in distribution are most likely environmentally driven rather than due to fisheries management and stock recovery.

“Before we further exploit bluefin tuna either commercially or recreationally for sportfishing, we should consider whether it would be better to protect them by making the UK’s seas a safe space for one of the ocean’s most endangered top fish.”

It comes after anglers hoped Brexit would mean the UK would be allowed to apply for its own quota, describing it as a “once in a lifetime opportunity”