THE UK Government is facing questions after no Scottish fishers were given the right to catch prized bluefin tuna – with every tonne of a major quota boost being allocated south of the Border.
Last November, the UK secured a 230-tonne annual quota allocation for Atlantic bluefin tuna for 2026-2028, a significant increase on the previous allocation of 66 tonnes which reflected the growing numbers of the choice fish in UK waters.
The Labour Government said that 120 tonnes of the annual quota would be given to commercial fisheries, with a total of 30 licensees being allowed to catch four tonnes each.
However, the application process run by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) ultimately resulted in 29 licences being granted, none of which are in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
One licence was granted to a fisher in Jersey – where there were calls for the four-tonne allocation to be shared between the island’s industry as a whole – and it is believed the rest went to fishers in England.
Last year, Angus Campbell, a fisher in the Western Isles, had a licence and landed a bluefin tuna reported to weigh 353kg – perhaps the largest caught in the UK in 2025. However, he was not given a licence again in 2026.
In the Commons on Thursday, Western Isles MP Torcuil Crichton raised the issue of bluefin tuna licences and asked what assessment had been made of the “adequacy of the geographical distribution of tuna fishing licences”.
Stephen Morgan MP, a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said that the quota had created “new opportunities for fishers across the United Kingdom”, adding: “Licences were allocated through a fair, transparent process with successful applicants selected by a ballot after meeting strict criteria.
“We're continuing to work with the devolved governments and Crown dependencies to support the growth of this important fishery.”
Crichton then said: “My constituent Angus Campbell held the only commercial licence for tuna in 2025. He has invested thousands in equipment and a route to market for the bluefin tuna now swimming off the Atlantic coast of the Hebrides.
“This year, no licence.
“In fact, the two applications that came from Scotland came from the Western Isles. Of the 29 licences allocated, none came to Scotland.
“Can I ask the minister to review why there is no regional distribution of licences, why a fisher with an established track record of commercial landing was turned down, and can he look for a speedy resolution through a second round of licencing from the approximately 100 tonnes of quota allocated to tag-and-release mortalities, bycatch, and scientific research?”
Morgan responded: “As he rightly says, in 2025 one Scottish fisher secured a commercial bluefin tuna licence authorisation through a fair and transparent application process. That fisher was unsuccessful in 2026.
“As set out in guidance, due to demand authorisations are currently issued for one year only and are not automatically renewed.
“We are working with Scotland and other fisheries administrations to gather evidence on the current approach.”
Jim Shannon, the DUP MP for Strangford, then raised similar concerns for Northern Ireland.
Shannon said: “Can the minister explain to this House why Northern Ireland’s sustainable rod and reel fishers are being treated as second-class citizens, and will the minister commit today to sit down with the Northern Ireland Fish Producers’ Organisation and rewrite these unfair rules so that our fishermen can access a fair geographical equal share of this quota?”
Morgan said: “I thank my honourable friend for his question, and he rightly invited me over to Northern Ireland last week at the Westminster Hall debate knowing that I'm a fan of scampi. So I do look forward to finding that opportunity in due course.
“I thank him for his invitation to engage in these issues and very happy to follow up with him in due course.”
