I’m not sure whether the recent sale of a bluefin tuna for a record $736,700 is good or bad news for the specie. Bluefins are one of the coolest fishes finning on the planet and they’re also one of the most coveted because they grow to a thousand pounds or more and, for seafood lovers, they taste awesome. Japan has an infatuation with the fish and they pay heavily for the opportunity to serve it on a plate. Because of that bluefin are a valued commodity and even a single fish can make or break a commercial fisherman’s season. It’s not even debatable to say that bluefin tuna, as a species, are being mismanaged throughout their range, although I did see a program a few days ago about a thriving bluefin population in Canada. So maybe there’s hope. But, when a fish fetches a
massive amount of money you can only imagine what’s going on in black market trade. Check out this story on the record bluefin. I think it will blow you away, knowing what people are willing to pay for a bite of fish.
From: Japan Real Time
Written by Yoree Koh
After struggling to cope with the impact of the March 11 disasters last year, a burst of national pride has got Japan’s fishing industry off to a stirring start in 2012: A brand new all-time record price tag for a bumper bluefin tuna.
Weighing in at a hefty 269 kilograms, the fish, caught off the coast of northern Oma, Aomori prefecture, was sold for about Y56.5 million, or about $736,700, at the year’s first auction at Tokyo’s renowned Tsukiji fish market Thursday.
The new record valued…READ MORE