Record ¥333 million paid for bluefin tuna at new Tokyo market's first auction

I recently learned one reason for freezing tuna, not just for transport and preservation, but to kill the parasitic worms that inhabit most tuna. That, and the amount of mercury in these top-of-the-line predators really make me not want to have sushi anymore.

Time Japan showed less developing nations some leadership. Not leadership in paying ridiculous money for a species pushed to the brink of extinction - it being classed as endangered - but by showing proper management of the oceans and it’s riches, be it tuna, whales or other.

This is a sad story, a celebration in killing an endangered species.

The fisherman should be brought up on charges for catching an endangered Tuna.

There is something fishy here.

Time Japan showed less developing nations some leadership. Not leadership in paying ridiculous money for a species pushed to the brink of extinction - it being classed as endangered - but by showing proper management of the oceans and it’s riches, be it tuna, whales or other.

Never going to happen in a country that will make the claim that the rest of the world is just complaining about Japan's "food culture" being attacked!

Everyone else in the world has to STOP fishing tuna and leave it ALL for Japan!

Sushi entrepreneur and endangered species frankly doesn't sit well or complement each other.

I would be a hypocrite however if I didn't admit, acknowledge to having devoured and enjoyed a number of controversial produce, Foie gras an example.

The enormous 278-kilogram fish -- an endangered species

when has that ever stopped Japan, Japans record of ocean conservation is pathetic at best, culture excuse trumps everything, next in the crosshairs...whales

¥333 million? Holy mackerel!

Amazing! Prices are improving which is another good sign of the Japanese economy. I am very jealous of the lucky customers who can eat this tuna in the next day or 2. I expect one small dish will cost 10,000 yen judging from the overall price. I can just imagine how delicious it will be!

Is there any endangered species the western countries consume? We are wary always becoming their target about foods we eat. Do they want us eat the same things they eat? Are they interfering eating habit of other countries?

Am sure ivory will be worth more, with fewer Elephants, it is normal economics but very bad for the Earth Species.

Why pay such ridiculous amount on unhealthy fish, what will people achieve?

Shouldn't people focus on eating just healthy fishes like

Iwana (Arctic Char)

Lake Trout & Rainbow Trout

Pacific Halibut

Rock Fish & Cat Fish

Sabe Fish (Black Cod)

Sardines & Anchovies

Something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

"an endangered species" The people who caught it and then bought it should be charged"

Following that logic, every fisherman who catches a tuna, every fish shop and supermarket that sells tuna and everyone who buys it should be charged. No where near enough detention centers, they would have to kick Ghosn out to make room for one of the tuna offenders.

Another example of ‘excess’ in Japan where the rich indulge extravagantly.

And how is it that Kiyoshii Kimura can

spend one million US dollars on a fish?

Maybe he is due for a tax audit?

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/science/earth/19species.html?src=sch&pagewanted=all

*The rejection of the bluefin proposal was a clear victory for the Japanese government, which had vowed to go all out to stop the measure or else exempt itself from complying with it. Japan, which consumes nearly 80 percent of the bluefin catch, argued that the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or Iccat, should be responsible for regulating the fishery, not the United Nations. European Union nations, whose fleets are most responsible for the overfishing of bluefin, abstained from voting in the second round after their own watered-down proposal was rejected.*

If we want tuna to recover and stop being an endangered species, many people will have to get in line, not only the Japanese.

And how is it that Kiyoshii Kimura can spend one million US dollars on a fish?

If the news is rigth, then it's US 3 million dollar.

Yes, 3.1 million dollars- it’s pretty disgusting if you think about it....

Yes, 3.1 million dollars- it’s pretty disgusting if you think about it....

I wish I could be the one to sell it to him!

I'm trying to do the math here:

278kg ( only 70% of the fish is edible, according to some sites I checked) or approx. 195kg

1 piece of sashimi is about 18 grams

195,000 / 18 = approx. 11,000 pieces

11,000 pieces x 1,000 yen each = 11,000,000 yen or about 1 million USD

Am I missing something here? Are my figures wrong?

Insane, just insane.

You do not call a person insane who pays more money than this for a Picasso painting.

You can’t legally buy strontium, cesium and mercury in the supermarket. Only way is to buy these products is : whale meat (japan pacific), shark, shark fin, dolphin meat or...tuna. Oh and Tohoku/Kanto bottom feeding fish and Samma and Saba.

It’s special transaction for annual first tuna auction event.

Given gratitude and support for fishmen, Nice actions proceed to their motivations!

Am I missing something here? Are my figures wrong?

Yes. It is about publicity as much as anything else. He'll make a loss on the fish itself but profit from the 'free" publicity.

333,6 million yen, WTF! it just goes to show how much money this guy is making to waste it on one fish, I think its one big publicity stunt. the real winner is the boat owner and the crew, they will get a large chunk of that money and the auctioneer will take a commission to, the only looser here is the poor fish and the demise of the Tuna stock. As these big fish get scarcer and scarcer, the price will only go up. Japan needs to have in place NOW a conservation program to limit numbers so the fish stock can recover.

Imagine, 333 million yen given to convservation organizations and charities.

333 million yen is too much. How can he spend so much money on one big tuna?

@kurisupizu not too bright, are you? First oof, that would be an excess of 3 million. Second, he is the sushi king. He owns the sushi chain “Sushi Zanmai” whis has stores all over the country. The man pays his taxes and can absolutely afford it.

I wonder how much the fisherman got? I bet he'd be crying if he only got a token of that world record sum.

You do not call a person insane who pays more money than this for a Picasso painting.

That painting will exist a year from now, 50 years from now, 100 years from now.

The tuna will not.

@ Vernon watts, it’s actually worse as 11,000,000 yen is not $1 million but closer to $100,000. Pure public relation ploy.

It has to be 33.3 million yen.