Fishermen who reeled in a giant bluefin tuna that could have been sold for around $3 million have released the creature back into the sea.
David Edwards is one of the proud fishermen who took to the sea just off the coast of Ireland only to come across a giant, 600-pound tuna that measured nearly 9 feet in length.
While the catch could have easily paid out $3 million, the four men had to throw the fish back into the sea because they weren’t fishing for commercial purposes during their hunt.
“They are much more common up in Donegal Bay where they follow the herring,” Edwards said in an interview with Cork Echo Live.
“They are more unusual down here but tend to be much bigger when they do show up. This is the first one caught south of Donegal Bay this year and it really was a big fish.”
Before the fishermen tagged and let go of the tuna, David took a picture of the catch that soon went viral on social media.
“Finally! Got the first bluefin tuna to be caught, tagged and released on the South Coast of Ireland – 102 inches long, 5-600lb in weight and well done to my crew for the day, Darren O’Sullivan, Henk Veldman and John Dillon, great job lads,” he wrote.
To prove just how much giant bluefin tunas are worth, one fish of a similar size got sold for $3 million in an auction earlier this year.
The record-breaking buying price was set by Kiyoshi Kimura, a Japanese businessman, who didn’t hesitate to splash out on the 600-pound catch.
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Replaced!