Stunned angler catches massive 48lbs fish thought to have been extinct in British rivers for 31 years

A stunned angler has reeled in a monster fish thought to have been extinct in Britain for more than three decades.

Dave Howarth was fishing on the River Trent when he hooked the 48lb (21.7kg) whopper.

The 43-year-old, who was targeting large barbel, then faced a half-hour battle to land it in his net – before realising he had bagged a sturgeon. 

Dubbed a ‘royal fish’, sturgeons are protected by the Crown in the same way as swans are.

They were once common in UK rivers, but dirty rivers and other pressures virtually wiped them out.

Dubbed a ‘royal fish’, sturgeons are protected by the Crown in the same way as swans are.

The last recorded UK sturgeon was found in the River Tywi, in Carmarthenshire, south Wales, in 1993.

They were thought to have died out completely.

The ancient fish have been around since the Cretaceous period when T‑Rex was walking the planet. 

With a lifespan of between 60 and 70 years, they can grow to an average size of of about 4ft. 

However, the largest recorded sturgeon ever seen was about 19.6ft (6m) in length.

There are strict rules in place if a sturgeon is caught in British waters, and it is an offence to land one of the fish with specific permission from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). 

They were once common in UK rivers, but dirty rivers and other pressures virtually wiped them out.

The UK Government said: ‘It is important that any live fish are immediately returned to the sea unharmed. Due to the critical state of common sturgeon population numbers, the survival of each fish is essential.’

If a live fish is caught it must be released and the following organisations should be contacted: the MMO’s local office, Cefas and Receiver of the Wreck, which acts on behalf of the crown in relation to “royal fish”. 

Dead sturgeon can be landed if used for scientific research.