The blue shark is a slender shark with a deep blue back, very long pointed pectoral fins and a long snout. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the blue shark
The blue shark is a slender shark with a deep blue back, very long pointed pectoral fins and a long snout. The belly is white. It grows to about 13 ft and 400 lb, and typical UK boat catches are 5 to 8 ft and up to 150 lb. It is an open-water fish of deep water. In UK seas it is found mostly off south-west England and Ireland, and occasionally further north. It is present in the warmer summer months, though the record gives no exact months. The IUCN lists it as Near Threatened, and numbers are falling in European waters. That is why the advice is to release every fish. Charter boats from south and west England, Wales and Ireland run blue shark trips, and almost all of them fish on strict catch-and-release. The official record is 218 lb, yet bigger blue sharks have been caught and let go. A 242 lb fish at Milford Haven and a 256 lb fish off Cornwall were released and did not set records. It is a handsome shark, and a good example of why letting a fish go can matter more than a number on a list.
On the boat
Blue shark trips run from charter boats in south and west England, Wales and Ireland, and almost all fish on strict catch-and-release. They are present in the warmer summer months, but the record gives no exact months. No Sussex catches are recorded in the species record. Typical UK boat catches are 5 to 8 ft and up to 150 lb. In UK seas it is found mostly off south-west England and Ireland, and occasionally further north.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 218 lb (98.878 kg)
- Where
- Looe, Cornwall
- When
- 1959
- Angler
- N Sutcliffe
Confirmed British boat-caught record: N Sutcliffe, 218 lb (98.878 kg), caught at Looe, Cornwall, in 1959. The official list gives the year only, not the full date. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer claims are by length only. Larger blue sharks were released and did not set records.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
Near Threatened (IUCN), with numbers falling in European waters. Release all fish. The release advice comes from the Shark Trust and this guide, not from a legal size limit. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
Bigger blue sharks than the record have been caught and released: 242 lb at Milford Haven and 256 lb off Cornwall. Because they were released, they did not set records.
Questions about the blue shark
What is the British boat-caught record for blue shark?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: N Sutcliffe, 218 lb (98.878 kg), caught at Looe, Cornwall, in 1959. The official list gives the year only, not the full date. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer claims are by length only. Larger blue sharks were released and did not set records.
Is blue shark caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch blue shark?
Around Britain: Present in the warmer summer months; no exact months given. Our sources give no months for Sussex.
How big does a blue shark get?
Up to 13 ft and 400 lb; typical UK boat catches 5 to 8 ft and up to 150 lb.
Sources
- britishseafishing.co.uk Blue shark: britishseafishing.co.uk
- BRFC Sea Fish Records June 2026: anglingtrust.net
- Wikimedia Commons image page: commons.wikimedia.org
Picture: NMFS, E. Hoffmayer, S. Iglesias and R. McAuley, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
