Milford Haven Records Wales’s First Bluefin Tuna Catch 2026

Key Points

• An Atlantic bluefin tuna weighing 131kg has been caught at Milford Haven, and this has been Wales’ first ever bluefin catch for commercial purposes under the 2026 UK fishery regulations.
• The fish was landed by the skipper of the boat Safia Rose, Anthony Court, after changes in regulations enabled them to fish commercially for tuna.
• The annual quota for bluefin tuna in the UK increased to 230 tonnes for 2026-2028, with 120 tonnes being set aside for 2026 and approximately 30 boats permitted for the fishery.
• Commercial bluefin fishing in the UK is done using only rod and reel gear, trips under 24 hours, not allowed to chum and must land in authorized ports like Milford Haven and Holyhead.
• This comes after an increase in the number of bluefin in British waters, where recently a bluefin weighing more than 100kg was caught off Whitby.

Wales (Wales Times) October 05, 2026 — A giant Atlantic bluefin tuna weighing 131kg has been landed at Milford Haven, in what is being described as a Welsh fishing first under the UK’s expanded 2026 bluefin tuna fishery. The catch was brought ashore by skipper Anthony Court and the crew of the fishing vessel Safia Rose, following regulatory changes that now permit limited commercial targeting of the species in Welsh waters.

The landing comes against the backdrop of a significantly larger UK quota and more authorised vessels for 2026. As reported by the UK government, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) increased the UK’s annual bluefin tuna allocation from 63 tonnes in 2024–2025 to 230 tonnes for 2026–2028, with 120 tonnes earmarked for the commercial fishery this year. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) doubled the number of authorised commercial vessels from 15 in 2025 to 30 in 2026, each with a four-tonne individual quota, and issued additional recreational permits in England and Jersey.

How did new UK rules enable commercial bluefin fishing in Wales?

The 2026 bluefin tuna fishery operates under strict conditions designed to keep the fishery low-impact and data-rich. According to UK government guidance, commercial authorisations for bluefin tuna in 2026 apply only to UK waters, excluding Northern Irish waters, and require vessels to be 12 metres or under in length. Each trip targeting bluefin must last no more than 24 hours, use rod-and-reel gear only, and prohibit chumming.

Fishermen must record all bluefin catches in their logbooks, submit an Electronic Bluefin Tuna Catch Document (eBCD) for every landing, and land fish at designated UK ports. For Wales, the designated ports listed by the UK government are Milford Haven and Holyhead, making Milford Haven a legally recognised landing point for this fishery. These rules aim to balance commercial opportunity with conservation obligations under the UK’s international bluefin tuna management commitments.

In parallel, Welsh ministers have been running a separate commercial-scientific trial fishery for bluefin tuna, seeking up to five vessels of 12 metres or under to operate in specified areas of the Welsh zone. Those trials use a distinct portion of the UK’s 2026 quota, do not reduce the quota available to the main commercial fishery or recreational permits, and require participants to land catches at Milford Haven or Holyhead while contributing additional scientific data.

Who was involved in the Milford Haven bluefin tuna landing?

The vessel at the centre of this development is Safia Rose, skippered by Anthony Court. As reported in local coverage of the event, Court and his crew brought the 131kg bluefin tuna ashore at Milford Haven, marking the first such commercial landing recorded in Wales under the new 2026 arrangements.

While detailed quotations from Court and his crew are not available in the publicly accessible reports, the significance of the landing has been framed locally as a milestone for Welsh fishing, reflecting both the return of bluefin tuna to British waters in greater numbers and the opening of a tightly regulated commercial pathway for UK fishermen.

The broader context includes other recent high-profile bluefin landings around the UK. In August 2026, a 338kg bluefin tuna was landed off Whitby on the Yorkshire coast, described as the first such landing there in around 60 years, with another large fish landed the following day. These events, together with the Milford Haven catch, underline how the species has re-established itself as a feature of UK fisheries after decades of absence.

What does this mean for the Welsh fishing industry and local economy?

For the Welsh fishing sector, the Milford Haven landing signals the practical start of a new, high-value component to inshore fisheries. UK government figures cited by the BBC indicate that commercial fishers could land up to 120 tonnes of bluefin tuna in 2026, with an estimated value of around £1.4 million based on historic landing prices. Although the total value will be shared across all authorised UK vessels, the presence of a designated port in Wales and the participation of Welsh-based skippers such as Anthony Court means that some of this value will flow directly into the Pembrokeshire coastal economy.

Milford Haven’s status as a designated bluefin landing port also strengthens its role as a hub for specialist fisheries. The port already handles a range of commercial vessels and marine energy activities, and the addition of bluefin tuna landings adds another dimension to its portfolio. Local charter operators in the Milford Haven area have been advertising tuna trips, including bluefin, indicating growing interest from both commercial and recreational angles.

At the same time, the strict regulatory framework means that the fishery will remain small-scale and closely monitored. With only around 30 authorised commercial vessels UK-wide in 2026, each with a four-tonne quota, and tight controls on gear, trip length, and data reporting, the fishery is designed to avoid the kind of over-exploitation that contributed to bluefin tuna’s historical decline.

What scientific and conservation considerations surround the UK bluefin fishery?

The UK’s approach to bluefin tuna in 2026 is explicitly linked to conservation and data collection. The MMO’s commercial authorisation process requires detailed catch reporting and eBCD documentation for all landings, feeding into international stock assessments managed by ICCAT. The separate Welsh commercial-scientific trial fishery goes further, requiring participating vessels to contribute “significant additional data” while operating under a dedicated slice of the UK quota.

Marine biologists and fishermen have pointed to increasing bluefin numbers in UK waters as a sign of partial recovery, but stress that careful management remains essential. As reported by the BBC, the quota increase to 230 tonnes annually for 2026–2028 reflects improved stock status, yet the fishery is still being treated as a cautious, data-driven exercise rather than an open commercial free-for-all. The requirement for rod-and-reel gear, short trips, and no chumming is intended to minimise bycatch and environmental impact while allowing targeted sampling of the stock.

Background to the development of the UK bluefin tuna fishery

Atlantic bluefin tuna were largely absent from UK waters for several decades following severe overfishing in the late 20th century, which drove the stock to the brink of collapse. International management under ICCAT, combined with stricter quotas and enforcement, has allowed the stock to recover sufficiently for limited fishing to resume in parts of the northeast Atlantic, including around the British Isles.

The UK’s formal commercial bluefin fishery is recent. In 2025, a small number of vessels were authorised under a pilot-style arrangement, with 15 commercial licences issued. For 2026, the UK government expanded the fishery, doubling the number of authorised vessels to around 30 and increasing individual quotas from three to four tonnes, within a total commercial allocation of 120 tonnes. Recreational catch-and-release permits were also expanded in English waters and Jersey, with mandatory training introduced for some permit holders.

Wales has been integrated into this framework both through the UK-wide commercial fishery and through its own commercial-scientific trial scheme, which targets vessels of 12 metres or under to operate in specified Welsh zones and land at Milford Haven or Holyhead. The Milford Haven landing by Safia Rose is therefore the first visible outcome of these overlapping policy and management changes in Welsh waters.

Prediction: how could this development affect Welsh fishermen and coastal communities?

If the 2026 season proceeds without major conservation setbacks, the Milford Haven landing is likely to encourage more Welsh skippers to seek bluefin authorisations or participate in the Welsh trial fishery in future years. For individual fishermen, bluefin tuna represent a high-value species that can significantly boost trip earnings when caught within the strict quota and gear limits. For coastal communities such as Milford Haven, regular bluefin landings could support ancillary services, including handling, transport, and specialist marketing of premium fish.

However, the impact will be moderated by the tightly capped nature of the fishery. With only a limited number of vessels authorised UK-wide and strict per-vessel quotas, bluefin will not transform the overall scale of Welsh fishing, but rather add a niche, high-value element to an already diverse inshore sector. Longer-term effects will depend on stock trends, ICCAT quota decisions beyond 2028, and whether the UK chooses to expand or maintain the current cautious approach. For now, the Safia Rose landing marks a symbolic and practical step: the return of commercial bluefin tuna fishing to Wales under a controlled, data-driven regime.