E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Kimimasa Mayama / EPA
A chef shows the head of a 489-pound bluefin tuna sold for the record sum of 155.4 million yen (some $1.7 million) in the New Year's first auction at Tsukiji Market. The successful bid was about three times the record 56.49 million yen bid in last year's auction.
A bluefin tuna sold for a record $1.76 million at a Tokyo auction Saturday, nearly three times the previous high set last year — even as environmentalists warn that stocks of the majestic, speedy fish are being depleted worldwide amid strong demand for sushi.
In the year's first auction at Tokyo's sprawling Tsukiji fish market, the 222-kilogram (489-pound) tuna caught off northeastern Japan sold for 155.4 million yen, said Ryoji Yagi, a market official.
The fish's tender pink and red meat is prized for sushi and sashimi. The best slices of fatty bluefin — called "o-toro" here — can sell for 2,000 yen ($24) per piece at upmarket Tokyo sushi bars.
Japanese eat 80 percent of the bluefin tuna caught worldwide, and much the global catch is shipped to Japan for consumption.
The winning bidder, Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Co., which operates the Sushi-Zanmai restaurant chain, said "the price was a bit high," but that he wanted to "encourage Japan," according to Kyodo News agency. He was planning to serve the fish to customers later Saturday.
Kimura also set the old record of 56.4 million yen at last year's New Year's auction, which tends to attract high bids as a celebratory way to kick off the new year — or get some publicity. The high prices don't necessarily reflect exceptionally high fish quality.
PhotoBlog: Giant bluefin tuna nets $1.76 million
The price works out to a stunning 700,000 yen per kilogram, or $3,603 per pound.
Stocks of all three bluefin species —the Pacific, Southern and Atlantic — have fallen over the past 15 years amid overfishing.
On Monday, an intergovernmental group is to release data on Pacific Bluefin stocks that environmentalists believe will likely show an alarming decline.
"Everything we're hearing is that there's no good news for the Pacific bluefin," said Amanda Nickson, the director of the Washington-based Pew Environmental Group's global tuna conservation campaign. "We're seeing a very high value fish continue to be overfished."
The population of another species, the southern bluefin, which swims in the southern Pacific, has plunged to 3-8 percent of its original levels.
Stocks of bluefin caught in the Atlantic and Mediterranean plunged by 60 percent between 1997 and 2007 due to rampant, often illegal, overfishing and lax quotas. Although there has been some improvement in recent years, experts say the outlook for the species is still fragile.
In November, the 48 member nations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or ICCAT, voted to maintain strict catch limits on the species, although some countries argued for higher limits. The quota will be allowed to rise slightly from 12,900 metric tons a year to 13,500. Quotas were as high as 32,000 tons in 2006.
A total catch limit on the Pacific bluefin has been imposed only recently in the eastern part of the Pacific near the United States and Mexico, but not by the intergovernmental group that oversees the western Pacific, Nickson said. So-called effort limits in place now — restrictions on the number of vessels and days fishing allowed — are not effective, she added, and fisherman also are targeting juvenile populations and spawning grounds.
"This poor species is being hit from every angle," she said.
More world stories from NBC News:
- 'Strong young woman': Taliban shooting victim Malala leaves hospital
- ANALYSIS: Is peace really in the air in Afghanistan?
- Commemoration or deification? Pakistan embraces 'political goddess' Bhutto
- Drug-resistant malaria threatens deadly global 'nightmare'
- From alcohol to kites: An A to Z guide to the Islamic Republic of 'Banistan'
- UK police: Attackers dressed as Oompa Loompas beat man
- Vatican launches swipe-card security system
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Japanese Greed. What will they do when there is no more? Will there be any remorse?
don't worry...I am sure they are already developing the next generation of robotic tuna to take their place
Caught near the NE coast ....... Fukishima radiation.
@ Lee-1447916,
That was my first thoughts when I read NE coast. I'm sure the government is telling them radiation is normal and you'd have to eat the whole fish to get the same amount of radiation the fish is showing. I'm not sure how that works. Seems to me the cooks and butcher would be at the most risk of radiation poisoning.
Someone is unknowingly eating radioactive tuna caught from the Fukushima river which cools the Nuclear powerplants...
The Tuna is 489 lbs and blue for a reason...they forgot to mention that bad boy had a mustache
When these are wiped out I'm sure the japanese will find some other creature to carve into tiny pieces and sell as gourmet.
One of the most awesome creatures on earth and greed is taking it away from all of us. Not sure why but Asian cultures seem not to respect life either human or animal. Destroying the environment for short term gain seems to be normal for them. Teddy Roosevelt started our environmental movement and we all owe him a dept of gratitude.
They will resume full whale hunts...
1.76million for a fish? ------and there are people that wonder why we need to make wealthy people pay a little more in taxes. It's not just a USA problem as at least a few of you may see.
The story is not about class warfare...........
The big earthquake and tsunami Japan had might have been Karma for killing whales and Dolphins. Maybe there is a bigger Karma in the future for them.
They are idiots. Between poaching and killing everything that moves, there will be nothing in the end.
When man kills off all of the world's fish, animal and plant life, we'll still have Soylent Green.
the tuna, the whales, the dolphins, etc. they do NOT care and will keep on killing until the ocean is empty....we need to send troops there...not the middle east...
Once again the East is dining on the entire world. Sickening. Just as sickening is the authors use of the term "stocks" when referring to a population of stunning creatures. As if he/she is talking about cans of food. No wonder people don't give a $hit about eating our future, totally desensitised.
blue fin and hush puppies...it's what's for lunch...mmmmm good...
I'm glad I'm white so I can feel so good about how white people have impacted the environment over the past few hundred years. We're such a bunch of do-gooders
This is but one more example of greed, immediate gratification, technology and modern man "at work" = 1.76 million for one fish, which is being depleted!
"even as environmentalists warn that stocks of the majestic, speedy fish are being depleted worldwide amid strong demand for sushi".
It's a shame that the super volcano in Yellowstone is the next one due to blow. When it does, a third of the US and Canada will be devastated and it will be people like these who rule the world. They're getting there fast already with the assistance of the wealthy in our own country. Too bad it wasn't the super volcano in Indonesia that was due to explode next instead!
Sorry, Charlie. I'll pick up a can of StarKist at the dollar store and use the rest of the money to buy waterfront property - with a fishing pier.
They are already working on killing all the whales!
There was a previous story showing pictures of 10s of thousands of shark fins drying on roof tops in Hong Kong. One fin per shark. Asian's are like Pac-Man. Chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop
this topic is about japanese eating tuna, how you get from japan to hong kong you racist redneck
I don't know what's racist about anything Yank said because it is true.
It's not true when you are generalizing an entire group of people who come from one continent.
so are you saying it isn't the chinese and Koreans who are responsible for turning small parts of endangered animals into boner pills and leaving the rest to rot. Because it seems like every time I read an article about the killing of endangered animals, it says that they were going to be shipped to China for natural medicine to promote fertility
The topic is about bluefin tuna but only leads to a broader conversation. Asians are decimating many creatures, tigers for body parts, elephants for tusks, rhinoceros horns, bear bladders, shark fins, the list goes on. The rest of the world does not use these magnificent animals for an aphrodisiac or food.
@onegoldfish... You're slightly mistaken... The rest of the world is only concerned with cutting off their heads and mounting them on their walls. Europeans did very well on safaris - killing just to bag a trophy, without interest in using the whole animal or caring what disruption it caused to the localized environment. Gorillas are endangered just because the rich consider it "fun" to get the ultimate trophy. Rhinos and Elephants are hunted solely for their horns and tusks. Americans dang near killed off the bison for their hides, leaving the rest of the animal to rot.
Yep... "the rest of the world" doesn't do anything to the wild animals.
The article was about the drop in the numbers of these tuna in three ocean areas. Sushi bars were also said to be a big part of the problem in over fishing. Type in your search engine shark fins on Hong Kong roofs or go to this URL. They do not care what we think and the little sushi bar in your food store and the restaurants should be boycotted by us. There was a previous article in December about Rhinos, Elephants, Tigers and God knows what else. Only Anthony Bourdain knows for sure. The below has some impressive pictures of the rooftops. Bon Appetit!
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/outrage-over-hong-kongs-shark-fin-rooftop-085935419.html
Onegoldfish:so the Asians are decimating Tuna,Tigers,Elephants,Rhinos,Bears,Sharks,etc just as they have for thousands of years.Are we suppose to form a militia to make them stop.These people have a right to eat & prosper too.How would we feel if the rest of the world told us to stop slaughtering millions of Cows,Chickens,Pigs,etc.Just because they are domesticated makes the mass killing ok? If so there always seems to be a loophole that makes it ok for us & barbaric for others.
For the record I don't condone the killing of these magnificent animals, but at the same time it would be wrong of us to DICTATE how they survive.
I didn't know that cows, chickens, pigs, etc. were on the endangered list. Nobodys trying to "Dictate" to those people but just to point out to them what they are doing, and that is driving many species to extinction because of their Weird tastes and disregard for nature. Get real pal.
Yes, Asia is a major reason for the killing of rhinos and elephants, not for food but for their horns and ivory. It'd be one thing if these animals belonged to them, but they don't. These animals are being killed on protected reserves by poachers.
yiterp-
OK, the animals WE in the U.S.A. eat, are raised FOR butcher. NOT taken out of the ocean. Not sure you realize this, but that is a HUGE difference. They are killing all the wild fish. Not from fish farms. But from the wild.
hmm, i didn't know one needed shark fins to survive and I didn't know asians had sole domain over an animal that lives in international territory. That is what is ridiculous- that the only people who can be criticized are white and every one else who is black, brown, red or yellow is above reproach
I didn't think he was being racist. I saw the same article and photos and they were utterly mind-boggling. There had to be at least 25,000 shark fins drying on the rooftop (and that was just one rooftop at one point in time) away from prying eyes--or so they thought. Only problem was, somebody saw it from a plane and photographed it. Every fin represented a dead shark which they most often cut off while the shark is living, then throw the animal back into the water where it sinks to the bottom and drowns. It is virulently inhumane and cruel. I too believe that the Orient will destroy the Earth's oceans. Also, years back I read a story with photos about the wealthy restaurant-goers of Hong Kong who picked the cat they wanted to eat (there were pictures of all the cats in cages waiting to be killed). Then the chef grabbed the cat, took it to the kitchen and boiled it alive to get the fur off before stir-frying the meat however the customer wanted it. Truly sickening. Then there were the Chinese factories using dogfur for WalMart coats. I also saw pictures of a worker killing a dog for the fur--he sliced its legs open and let it bleed out as the animal was trying to ingratiate itself with him. Asians don't care about the suffering of animals. They don't seem to care much about human suffering either. Ever read "Memoirs of a Geisha" or "Autobiography of a Geisha'?
There are a lot of bizarre and cruel traditions in the Orient. There are restaurants in Asia (mostly China) that serve monkey brains. But the animal is alive. They bring this special table out, the animal is in a cage below the table with its head poking out through a hole in the middle and clamped in place with screws that go into the skull and the scalp of the animal is cut away. The top of the skull is removed so people sitting at the table can dip their spoons into the animal's head and dig out its brains as it screams in the cage at their feet. Indonesia has nearly depleted all of the monkeys in their country for their brains. What are they? The living dead or something? They can't control their appetites even when the animals they crave are almost all gone from the world!
After our delegation of distinguished biologist, sociologist, environmentalist, and anthropologist from Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong landed at the JFK airport, we were herded like sheep into buses for a long trip to several environment sanctuaries. Our sociologist attributed such inhospitable technique to a derivative of a yesteryear practice when the White Settlers abused all the living creatures of the New World. He also blame such insensitivity to the common stock of European immigrants.
During a long journey through barren land, we observed sign post indicating the nearby presence of Native American reservations, formerly called Indian Concentration Camps. According to our insightful anthropologist, although the White European didn't eat the native Americans, the invaders of the new world efficiently and mercilessly hunted down hundreds of thousands of them with their infectious diseases and rifles. As a result, many of the native American tribes are extinct. The remnant survivors are sent off to and fenced off as reservation camps. So far, the government has little efforts to increase their population or ensure their survival despite their numbers falling to a dangerous level.
But according to our noted biologist, the work of the White Man from Europe had only begun. He proceeded to swipe out the Western red fox; slaughtered nearly all the buffaloes, almost to extinction but for a small herd in remote western Canada; decimated the wolf populations to protect their cattle ranch business; annihilated the beaver population for fur hats; hunted the brown and grizzly bear to near extinction. There were additional tragedies but due to limited time, our biologist elected not elaborate further but referenced us to additional reading.
Unfazed by past environmental disaster in the wake of his greed for power, land, and gold, the White Man's tradition of cruelty to animal continues today as exemplified by his brutal clubbing and slaughtering baby seals by the thousands every year for the fur trade. Mother seals that rush to the rescue are also beaten and some are killed as well. Our delegation was horrified upon learning that the White Man's animals 'shelters' is in fact a slaughter house killing several hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats each year because of the White Man's irresponsibility. Greyhounds are used, abused and then discarded. Wild horses fare only slightly better.
When not actively engaged in 'sport' hunting of wild animals, the White Settlers indiscriminately poisons the environment with pesticides that almost wipe-out the Bald Eagle, the America's icon, and the South-Western Condor. For the dubious purpose of generating electricity and flood control, the White Man constructs waterways that kills or stops the reproduction of native salmons, and other indigenous species. The Great Lakes and other body of water are contaminated with pollutants, pesticide, herbicide, nitrate, and mercery to such a high level that eating fish caught from these lakes is akin to committing suicide. Indeed, thousands of fish suffocate or die under mysterious circumstances every year due to polluted water.
At the last stop our tour guide proudly lead us to a restored marshland, ten acres of reclaimed land from aggressive profit-driven land developers. He proceeded to lecture to us on to the importance of the marshland as a biological resource that breaks down pollutants as well as provide a safe habitat for animals. With full knowledge of the ecological importance of marshland, our ecologist rhetorically asked the guide the reason behind the government approval for all the high density residential and commercial developments along both coast lines. Almost on queue, the guide said the government approved these developments because they were necessary for national security, global war on terrorism and 'Stimulus' policy.
At the conclusion of this most illuminating symposium, the delegation fell silent, shocked by the disturbing observations and gut-wrenching evidence. It concluded that the White Settlers of the New World are a heartless breed, motivated only by fame and fortunate, and blinded by self-righteousness with little to no regard to the environment or living things.
WallSt, hands down that has to be one of the most idiotic comments I have read in a long time. Completely pointless. So basically, because of what was done in the past, no one should try to do anything about the present or the future to make it better? Do you know how hard it is for these conservation groups to fight for ANY land? It's easy to sit on your big behind and point your finger at "white settlers" and do nothing to prevent the continued destruction using "white settlers" who have been dead for generations as a pathetic excuse. What are you doing to save any species? Anything? My guess is nothing.
@Mike583286 ~ You are right... I was not thinking as clearly as you about what all peoples have done, past and present. Thank you for pointing out what I know and mistakenly forgot.
@ Jules - I think you missed his point. He's pointing out that maybe we should take care of our own house before we tell other people how to take care of theirs. But Americans are great at the "Do as I say - not as I do." method of world management.
Farm raised Mississippi catfish is about $3 or so a pound or less when on sale. I am going with that and I am cooking it too.
Love Mississippi Catfish! Worked in Tunica for a while and we caught 'em off the levee.
the last farm raise catfish i had was nasty taste'n...i like the ones caught in free running streams...isle of capri in tunica usually has good catfish...time you got off one of the machines it @ 300 bucks a plate...LOL...
I hate tuna of any species. I'm with you, I'll stick with catfish.....
Terry:
If you could raise Bluefin in a farm, you can hire ten chefs to cook your catfish for you.
Are you supposed to laugh or cry at this? Hard to know anymore. The planet is so screwed.
That was the same response I had initially.
I think that all you can do is be in awe at the prospect of a fish (albiet, a very large fish) selling for that kind of money. Whether or not that awe is inspiring or not is another story.
Personally, I would have much rather read a headline which read, "Japanese Mogul purchases fish for record 1.76 million dollars. Will donate proceeds from sale of fish to charity."
Tuna are now being farmed. The juvenile tuna are caught in nets using aircraft to find the schools and then raised until they are young adults harvested and then sent to Japan. Australia has a major tuna industry in South Australia around Port Lincoln.
Going to get me a bamboo pole string and hook, if I catch one of these fish I'll be rich.
mike277:
Weighing in at nearly 500 lbs, the Bluefin would more likely catch you, reeling you in, dragging you out to sea.
A man or woman has the right to do as he pleases with his or hear wealth, but whenever I read stories like this I cannot help but think of how many charitable acts this money could have sponsored.
That said, I think I would still pay $24 dollars to have a piece of this $1.76 million fish :D.
You have to love the tragic irony of our economic system - the more endangered and scarce something becomes, the more incentive there is to go kill the last one because it is worth more.
That means there will always be someone willing to cut down the last tree, kill the last tiger, or fish the last giant tuna.
Go us.
Oh somebody call the wambulance.
so its cool so long as it benefits you even though your life like all things must one day end and your progeny will be the ones stuck with the bill with no say over what we did for our own selfish gain. and we wonder how we got trillions into debt...
Divert the tuna to Japan and the drugs to America as keeps happening.
Do you think they payed extra for the radiation?
It is in mankind's very nature, to take for granted everything he has, until some part is no longer there.That is true for each and every one of us. Our brains are literally wired that way.Only through the loss of that portion, do we finally come to appreciate how valuable it was and how fully an important its role was in our life. Our very awareness how we are connected to the world around us and how complicated that even is, starts at birth, and slowly progresses outwards.
For some people, they are able to continue to grow and see the connections develop from physical and cognitive, to the natural ones found in nature. Being appreciate of the smallest to largest in the world, in fact even unto the universe. Becoming wiser stewards over the world around them.
Yet for others, they are blind to the relationship that exists, and fail in their responsibilities to protect it. Only afterward, when the damage has been done, do they learn what has been lost and cannot be replaced. But as is often the case for such individuals, they lack the empathy to really care, as such are self centered and focused only inwards.Seeking self gratification with a rape of nature mentality.
When life of any kind is reduced to money, and people seek only to make a profit off of it, the chances of any species surviving once targeted as such, is usually quite dim.It will not matter how logical, how much evidence is shown that extinction is eminent nor any other argument presented to protect the species.It is ultimately the lack of respect for life, period.Either one has it, or they do not. Just like either one has principals and ethical morals, or they don't.
In the mean time, animals like the bluefin Tuna will be clinging dangerously on the edge of oblivion. Dependent on that small group of land loving creatures who walk upright and supposedly are rational thinking, to help protect them.Sadly, time does seem to be running out.Their fate does seem almost certain, hook, line and sinker, ending wiped out by a species it was never even biologically designed to fight by Mother Nature.She planned for everything, except man's corrupt nature
@ Windancersong
Well said, thank you.
Windancersong-
I applaud your comment sir!
I was really hoping for space aliens to come down and kill every last "human" on our planet on dec 21st,
mankind is foolish and ignorant, myself included.
earth is dying.. we are killing it
And I thought a can of White Albacore was getting pricey
Its time for international laws that regulate and monitor fish stocks WORLDWIDE. And enforce it under the UN. Militarily if necessary.
Too many species are on the verge of being wiped out by humans.
A great solution. Bomb Japan if they keep catching tuna. Send in the Marines! Especially true given how trustworthy the UN is. Did you even read your comment before you posted it?
Yes I did. Unlike you i dont fear government. And the UN's only problem is, they dont have enough teeth. They should have enough, to force international law on any country. ANY country.
So we are suppose to be the worlds fish police.We can't even take care of our own many problems, but we're suppose to tell the world what they can harvest & what's off limits.Ridiculous!
It is easy to test for Cs-137. Tuna caught off the coast of California showed significant amounts of Cesium from Fukushima. It would be nice to know what amount of Cesium is in this pricey tuna.
I have an excellent recipe for Japanese Fishermen's Finger Soup
I am very surprised that the Japanese, normally an intelligent society, doesn't see the devastation and horrendous consequences of their actions. They are not the only culprit however. The world better wake up real quick, before the stocks of these amazing fish are put into a position that will be impossible to reverse....
I am not a racist, but it seems to me that the Asian countries in particular, have very little regard for endangered species. Look at the Chinese, with Ivory. It truly disgusts me to the point where I try to not buy ANYTHING Chinese, although, its next to impossible. Shame on them and their locust like behavior!!!
The larger the fish the higher the murcury count. Bon Appit !
anyone and everyone who eats bluefin tuna is just as bad
When they really become endangered, the Japanese will just hunt them down for "scientific research" just like they do whales. One day they too will be hunted down.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Ponder that . . . . . .
I think it's time to start sinking fishing boats....whalers as well.
No warning, just send them to the bottom of the sea.
at over 3600 a pound how big is a 24.00 piece size wise?
if my math is correct, a piece that weighs about as much as 50 grains of DRY rice. Volume wise I'd say about the size of a sugar cube.
hmmmmm hmmmmm sooo good....bunch of fools
Does it taste like a million bucks?
Japan, China and the rest of the Asian countries will eat anything that runs, walks, flys, crawls, swims, etc. etc. until the species are extinct. They don't give a monkeys ass about anything. Conservation? They don't know the meaning of the word. look at China with the Rhino horns, bear gall bladders, ivory, etc. Japan hunts whales they say is for research. Bull #@$%. Japan also catch sharks and cut off their fins for soup and the sharks sink to the bottom unable to swim. Asians will destroy the earth some day. All chinese and Japanese fishing boats should be sunk on sight in my opinion. Why the U.S. does business with these countries is beyond me.
Seems to me that the only animals that China cares about are the pandas. But you are correct about the rest. Most other animals are there for them to eat or to harvest a single part for an aphrodisiac.
And the only one americans care about is the cow.
"Why the U.S. does business with these countries is beyond me."
Cheap products, cheap labor. That's beyond you??
Nations better start cloning fish now or have a fish free diet in the near future...
it won't matter even if we did, the ocean is becoming inhospitable to life due to pollution and can we talk even 1 person into maybe not using 5 plastic baggies to carry their lunch in or to walk 1 block instead of drive. Nope, environmentalism is all fine and good as long as they don't have to see it, pay for it or be even mildly inconvenienced by it. As soon as it requires anything other than doing exactly what they have been doing they won't change a thing or lift a finger. It's like telling a kid his room is dirty and he should clean it before he gets hurt on the mess, and the child looking around and going - nope too hard, maybe Jesus will do it for me if I pray enough and if he don't then it was God's will I broke my foot on a lego I could have easily picked up a week ago.
The japs kill whales, are responsible for giant tuna declines. Looks like we need to think about dropping the bomb again to right the world.
ATTN: aggrevatedofficeworker
A little over dramatic are we?
Japanese also eat 90% of the whales caught for 'research', as well. Sooner or later they will have to admit their gluttony for 'delicate seafood' and learn to eat like normal human beings.
You torture animals in your meatpacking plants. You eat downer cows, too, despite what the Hindus think.Are you a normal human being? Your people brought the tigers and elephants to extinction, too. That's not normal.
rcr .. whats this deal with tigers and elephants I keep seeing? The biggest threat to both is locals. Tigers mainly for hide and shaman medicine in asia and mideast and elephant as a local food source and feed the illegal ivory market in asia and the mideast. And just what bearing does hindu have? They also have special worship building dedicated to the rat, it is still a better idea to exterminate rats then feed them. Asia (and I include the entire region) is so over-populated it is the vacuum cleaner of the world, what is scary is the current policy of accepting 3rd world excess populations rather than confronting the real problem of there are just too many people.