Tuna hunters have caught the first bluefin tuna fish in Hebridean waters this afternoon.
An expedition by Angus Campbell of Kilda Cruises to search for the species off the Hebrides came across a shoal of the Northern, also called Atlantic, tuna feeding on mackerel between Harris and St Kilda.
The first one caught was measured and released but the second, a large 515 lb fish, swallowed the hooks and was taken onboard. The big tuna, measuring eight and a half feet long, was later landed at Tarbert.
Shoals of tuna fish spotted off the Western Isles are thought to be the result of warmer seas and climate change. The recovery of pelagic fish like mackerel and herring which tuna feed on is also thought to be a factor.
Large numbers of different species of tuna have been seen chasing prey off St Kilda and the Hebrides in recent years.
Often tuna stay well below the surface but at times can be seen "busting" or breaching the water when feeding.
Attracting big game anglers to the islands could generate a new line in tourism and Angus Campbell, who operates Kilda Cruises, went searching for the fish this month.
Last year, a Seatrek wildlife boat, skippered by Iain Angus Macaulay, spotted a shoal of tuna off St Kilda.
