Bluefin Tuna Goes For Record $736,000 At Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market

The Associated Press reports:

TOKYO -- This tuna is worth savoring: It cost nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.

The bluefin tuna caught off northeastern Japan fetched a record 56.49 million yen, or about $736,000, Thursday in the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. The price for the 269-kilogram (593-pound) tuna beat last year's record of 32.49 million yen.

The price translates to 210,000 yen per kilogram, or $1,238 per pound - also a record, said Yutaka Hasegawa, a Tsukiji market official.

The winning bidder is Kiyoshi Kimura, president of a sushi restaurant chain. Media reports quote him saying that he wants to "liven up Japan" and help it recover from last year's devastating tsunami and economic stagnation.

The tuna was caught off Aomori prefecture.

On the occasion of the last record tuna sale, Trevor Corson, author of The Secret Life of Lobsters, The Story of Sushi and the only Sushi Concierge in the United States, explained why the largest bluefin tuna can fetch such enormous sums of money:

The only reason any bidder at the Tokyo auction ever pays that much for a fish is to deliberately spend way more than any sane person should. Blowing that much on a tuna is either a celebration of recent profits, or a bid for publicity to boost a restaurant or distributor's profile. In short, it's money spent on advertising, not on fish.

The bluefin tuna is not officially on NOAA's list of endangered species, but is considered a "species of concern." It faces possible extinction as a result of overfishing and habitat degradation.

Below, see photos of the record bluefin sale:

Comments

[narwhalmagic]

02:48 AM on 01/19/2012

...Was not expecting a fish story to inspire so much "God" talk or an outpouring of racism. People will take any excuse to condemn others. Jesus must be so proud.

[beth24]

12:13 AM on 01/19/2012

yeah you laugh with that stupid face of yours but the Lord sees a sinner against Nature and you will pay

[beth24]

12:05 AM on 01/19/2012

WHAT is the disconnect between Japanese who are supposed to be mostly Buddhists and their complete disregard for ocean life and biology??? Their greed knows no bounds when it comes to their obsession with marketing sushi even if it means wiping out every species to extinction which they are successfully doing. What a sin! Its like they have no regard for environmental issues or or ocean life..they also participate in whale, dolphin and shark murders 100 million sharks killed for their fin soup last year alone. Protest Japan and sushi eating now

[no exit]

03:42 PM on 01/11/2012

Yep, just keep fishing them until they're down to one. Then what? I guess Kiyoshi Kimura can just start feeding some other endangered species to his thoughtful customers.

[moneyman1]

12:11 PM on 01/11/2012

What will the Japanese do when they've eaten the last blue fin tuna - ...................

[ssnugsbug]

07:13 PM on 01/09/2012

Greedy people killing the strong and hearty of a species. How stupid can humans be?

[beth24]

12:07 AM on 01/19/2012

Japanese are obscene greedy and sinful they will kill and make extinct many species...hope a Higher Power punishes them because they are not being stopped by anyone

[glenaurora]

04:02 PM on 01/09/2012

$1,238/lb. A little too lofty for my budget.

[pink323]

12:29 PM on 01/08/2012

The poor fish should of been left alive in the sea. :(

[Howard Latchford]

11:58 PM on 01/09/2012

should HAVE, not should OF.

[pink323]

07:14 AM on 01/10/2012

ok boss :/

[michael3ov]

02:32 AM on 02/08/2012

If you are going to use a period at the end of your statement you need to capitalize the first letter. See how pointless and off topic being a grammar nazi is?

[Kenz300]

06:51 PM on 01/07/2012

The world is over fishing the lakes, rivers, streams and oceans.

Somewhere in the world we have a food crisis, a water crisis, an oil crisis, a climate change crisis, a financial crisis, a jobs crisis and an over populations crisis.

Too many people chasing too few resources leading to over fishing and depleted resources. THose that believe PEAK OIL theory say rising demand from China and India will soon outpace the worlds ability to supply ever more oil raising the price for all.

The world could not resolve the problems of poverty, hunger and despair when the world had 5 billion people and adequate resources. How will it cope in a future world of 9 billion people and limited resources? The ever rising world population will only lead to more poverty, suffering and despair. The worlds resources will soon meet their match.

[beth24]

12:10 AM on 01/19/2012

You said it all..man is a greedy thoughtless, mindless disgusting creature and God is going to get really angry real soon unfortunately good sensible people like you (and me) may get swept in the current of God's rightful wrath or Natures (same thing actually) people dont see that God and Nature are one they will pay hopefully those that sin against Nature/God

[yaaah69]

11:15 AM on 01/07/2012

If we wait long enough a certain Island of people will eat up all the fishing , and most of the Murcury!!

[cardiaccare]

07:48 PM on 01/06/2012

Has that tuna been swimming in radioactive waters?

[Kenz300]

06:52 PM on 01/07/2012

We hear so little about the radiation exposure.

There needs to be some independent reporting on the issue.

[redlinebiker07]

07:26 PM on 01/06/2012

Stuff that fish head and put it above the mantel.

[Bold VenturesLLC]

08:44 AM on 01/07/2012

Bold Ventures,LLC is looking for Tsukiji Market Tuna Trading company's interested in Quality Puerto Plata,D,R, Bluefin, Bigeye, Yellowfin Tuna's, from saltwater ice slush 1/2hr. after landing from longline caught. Navidad Bank,D.R. fishing grounds. Plus, swordfish,mahi,kingfish,many snappers & grouper, shark logs, and fins, & D.R. Farmed raised "WhiteShrimp Venture". BV,LLC Seafood industry since 1941. email Tom & Ed;

[Koko oneill]

05:08 PM on 01/06/2012

We have a "tuna season" here in Massachusetts. I once went to the docks where the fishermen brought in their catch and the bidders were all Japanese. I have no idea where they come from since I have never seen a Japanese person in our town. Anyway, the bidding was fast and furious and the tuna was going for an extraordinary amount of money.

[beth24]

12:11 AM on 01/19/2012

obscene greedy gross

[ARMY1775]

11:34 AM on 01/06/2012

I'm Hungry!

[secondcoming]

10:55 AM on 01/06/2012

ever think that _the price_ is because there are not all that many left? before you take that bite of cereal think about it.. there are 7 billion of us and mankind has consumed over two thirds of the planets natural food supply. Something the media doesn't want to talk about The Ancient Mayan had done the same thing!! "global awareness cam" 12/21/2012 is more than tacking up a new calendar. like the inscriptions, and glyphs on temple square there needs to be calendars of visual awareness. You're only going to survive as long as your food does.

[schnauzergirl]

03:35 PM on 01/10/2012

"ever think that _the price_ is because there are not all that many left?"

Nope, that species is not currently a protected one and as the article stated:

"The only reason any bidder at the Tokyo auction ever pays that much for a fish is to deliberately spend way more than any sane person should. Blowing that much on a tuna is either a celebration of recent profits, or a bid for publicity to boost a restaurant or distributor's profile. In short, it's money spent on ADVERTISING, not on fish."