Record-Breaking 271kg Tuna Fish Caught Off The Coast Of New South Wales

A 'spectacular' tuna fish has been caught off the New South Wales coast and it could be set to break a record.

According to 9News, a longliner vessel working near Coffs Harbour got the nibble of a lifetime when an angler reeled in a northern bluefin tuna.

But you can imagine the surprise on their faces when they chucked the fish onto the scales.

The humungous fish managed to register a whopping 271kgs.

It's set to absolutely smash the previous state record of 148kgs and 185cm in length if it gets officially measured by the CSIRO.

This catch of the year is well above the average for its species, which is roughly 60kgs and 150cm in length.

The fish was debuted at the Sydney Fish Markets, where passersby have been shocked to see a fish as big as them.

"It certainly is a spectacular fish and in pretty good condition," Erik Poole, supply and business manager at the Sydney Fish Market, told nine.com.au.

The fish has been sold to Claudio's Seafood, which, according to 9News, helps supply seafood to loads of Japanese restaurants around Sydney.

Australia certainly isn't a stranger to anglers catching massive sea creatures and that was put on display earlier this year.

A group of fishermen took more than 45 minutes trying to pull in a huge tiger shark.

The huge shark could barely be contained on the boat, with images showing one of the fishermen holding onto the shark's fin to stop it tipping back into the water.

Once it was secured onto the boat they headed back to Port Hacking in Sydney's Sutherland Shire for their catch to be weighed.

Two years earlier, an eight-year-old boy went viral for reeling in an absolute monster of a tiger shark that ended up weighing 314kgs.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph at the time, the youngster admitted to feeling 'nervous' as he attempted to drag the shark onto the boat.

He told the news outlet: "I was thinking that I hope the crew can (get) the shark (on the boat) because I don't want to lose it. I was really excited when they got it."

Fishing for the sharks is legal in New South Wales, with fishermen permitted to have one tiger shark per catch.

The animals are not on the endangered list, but they are listed as 'near threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature'.

But while it is permitted, not everyone agrees with the practice and some fishermen have been criticised online after sharing snaps of their catches.

Luke Palmer, a bait shop owner from New South Wales, told ABC in 2019: "I know on Facebook the young fella that caught the tiger has been ridiculed.

"The anglers are within their rights to take the fish, but it is looked upon as being a bad sport.

"When it's all done right, under the rules and regulations, there's nothing wrong with what they're doing."

Featured Image Credit: Sydney Fish Market/Facebook

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie