The giant fish, measuring 1.68 m, was caught, measured, tagged, and released at Donegal Bay. 

In 2023, a total of 381 Atlantic bluefin tuna were tagged by authorized skippers in Irish waters.

Dr. William Roche of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) said: “The first fish of the season marks the start of a sustained period of data collection on bluefin tuna.

“Typically in summer, Atlantic bluefin tuna migrate to their feeding waters in Ireland in large numbers.

“This provides an excellent opportunity to tag tuna and collect data on when they appear in Irish waters, where they go, and what size they are.

“Any recaptures of tagged tuna will provide high-quality information on their wider migrations around the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, or further afield.

“IFI is very grateful to authorized skippers for their work on this large-scale information collection program.”

Recreational angling for Atlantic bluefin tuna is technically prohibited in Ireland. 

However, through the Tuna CHART (CatcH And Release Tagging) program, authorized charter skippers can capture, measure, tag, and release bluefin during the 2024 season, which began on July 1, 2024.

Bluefin tuna captures are kept in the water alongside boats, which progress slowly at speeds of 2–3 knots to ensure the fish remain in the best possible condition for their release.

Atlantic bluefin tuna average 2 m in length in Irish waters but can surpass lengths of 4 m and weigh more than 600 kg.

They are caught between approximately 1  km and 20 km off the coast of Ireland.

Skipper Adrian Molloy caught and released the first bluefin on Monday, July 29, 2024, and landed a second on the following day.

The 2024 Tuna CHART program season runs until November 12, 2024.