A Japanese sushi tycoon made headlines on Monday after shelling out an astonishing $3.2 million for a massive bluefin tuna at Tokyo’s famous New Year auction, smashing all previous records.
Dave Gershman of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ international fisheries team noted that the buzz around the auction was a hopeful sign that Pacific bluefin tuna stocks are beginning to recover after teetering dangerously close to collapse.
The buyer, Kiyoshi Kimura, who proudly calls himself the “Tuna King,” owns a chain of sushi restaurants and grabbed the top prize with his winning bid for the 243-kilogram (536-pound) fish, freshly caught off the northern coast of Japan.
“I’d thought we would be able to buy a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it,” Kimura told reporters after the early morning auction at Tokyo’s main fish market.
He added, “I was surprised at the price… I hope that by eating this lucky tuna, as many people as possible will feel energised.”
The final price at the New Year auction hit an eye-popping 510.3 million yen — the highest since records began in 1999.
