YOU have to “sea” it to believe it.

Traders at Bolton Market were shocked when they picked up a giant tuna fish, which is big enough to fill more than 1,000 tins.

The yellow fin tuna, which weighs 26 stones 10 pounds and is about six foot in length, was captured in The Faroe Islands by mackerel fishers.

The fish, which was hunting mackerel when it was caught, was then sold to MPJ Fish Supplies by Oban Fish Selling Company, a fish merchants based in Fleetwood.

The tuna, which is worth nearly £2,000, is the biggest fish MPJ traders have ever sold from their stall.

Its head alone weighs 35 kilograms — nearly six stone — and it is thought to be the same size as certain breeds of shark.

MPJ have sold parts of the fish to restaurants in Chinatown in Manchester and will sell the rest to customers.

Michael Evans, owner of MPJ, says the tuna is something you have to ‘sea’ to believe.

He added: “I went to pick up the fish from the guy who I buy my fish from and when he told me how big this was, I couldn’t believe it — I nearly fell on the floor!

“I’ve never imported anything this size. Even when I’ve seen fish on TV, I’ve never come across anything this big.

“It’s a bit of a showcase. Hopefully it will bring in a lot of customers and we can sell the lot, in manageable portions.”

John Mullineaux, a trader for MPJ, added: “It’s a rare sight — it’s not often you see a fish like this in Bolton Market.

“Visually it’s stunning, a real visual treat. We’ve got it right at the front of our stall.

“It’s good in so much as it keeps the market in the public eye.”