Kiyoshi Kimura, a self-described “Tuna King,” who runs restaurant chain Sushi Zanmai, paid 193 million yen (about $1.8 million) for a 608-pound (276-kilogram) bluefin tuna, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.
In 2019, a Japanese sushi tycoon named Kiyoshi Kimura made headlines by shelling out a staggering $3.1 million for a colossal bluefin tuna weighing 612 pounds. This extravagant purchase cemented its status as the world's most expensive tuna.
The largest one currently on record belongs to fisherman Ken Fraser, who caught a bluefin tuna off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada in 1979. That fish weighed in at an astounding 1,496 pounds! To this day, no fisherman has ever come close to matching this world record bluefin tuna catch.
Teen girl and dad reel in gigantic 700-pound tuna after 10 hour fight - and it's worth approximately $7,000 in sushi. An 18-year-old girl from Massachusetts caught a 700-pound Bluefin tuna — after she and her dad took turns reeling it in for 10 hours on Friday.
But according to The Daily Mail, it's big enough that it will likely fetch more than $30,000 when it's sold in Japan -- and that it will eventually yield about 20,000 individual pieces of tuna.
Kiyoshi Kimura, a self-described “Tuna King,” who runs restaurant chain Sushi Zanmai, paid 193 million yen (about $1.8 million) for a 608-pound (276-kilogram) bluefin tuna, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.
Also, there are strict quotas on how many producers can harvest each year. It's important to buy bluefin tuna only from a reputable source. Each fish will have a barcode that allows you to trace it back to the farm it came from. Another reason for its high cost is that it is a highly prized product.
Bluefin Tuna — Up to $5,000 per Pound
When it comes to the most expensive fish you can eat in 2023, we have an undisputed winner! The bluefin tuna holds the title of being the most costly edible fish on Earth. These fish have large, torpedo-shaped bodies that are almost circular in cross-section.
Kiyoshi Kimura, who owns the Sushizanmai chain, paid 333.6 million yen ($3.1 million) for the 278-kg (613-lb) fish caught off the coast of northern Japan's Aomori prefecture, or double what he had paid six years ago.
Otoro is a part of bluefin tuna that is the most desirable. It comes from the inside of the belly and it's the fattiest part of the fish. The texture is often described as intensely rich, marbled, and having melt-in-the-mouth properties. Due to these facts, it's traditionally the most expensive part of bluefin tuna.
Kiyoshi Kimura (木村 清, Kimura Kiyoshi) is known as the "Tuna King" of Japan.
A 200kg (440lb) endangered bluefin tuna sold for 14 million yen ($117,283; £80,000) at the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market.
The largest recorded specimen taken under International Game Fish Association rules was caught off Nova Scotia, an area renowned for huge Atlantic bluefin, and weighed 679 kg (1,497 lb) and was 3.84 m (12.6 ft) long.
However, no matter where you choose to source your Bluefin tuna, it should never be cheap. For example, local Bluefin tuna wholesale price per pound might cost between $20 and $40 while you can be paying a minimum of $200 a pound for Bluefin tuna from Japan. In peak season, Oma tuna can cost close to $400 a pound.
Australia Live Tuna 2023 Retail Prices
The retail price range in Australian Dollar for live tuna is between AUD 4.51 and AUD 97.78 per kilogram or between AUD 2.05 and AUD 44.34 per live weight pound(lb) in Canberra and Melbourne.
This time around, things seem to be recovering as a giant 212 kg bluefin tuna was sold for ¥36 million JPY ($275,000 USD) which brings the price per kg up to the $1,300 USD mark. This increase in demand signals a return of the F&B industry in Japan brought on by an increase in tourism.
The following statistics provide an up-to-date look at the market for canned tuna in the United States: The European Union, the United States and Japan are the largest consumers of canned tuna, using about 51 percent, 31 percent and 6 percent, respectively, of the world's canned tuna products.
Japan is the world's largest consumer of tuna
Japan consumes a quarter of the global tuna catch, mostly for sashimi use.
The biggest fish ever caught was a white shark. Although larger female white shark can grow up to 20ft in length and can weigh up to 5,000 pounds, this fish was a great white shark of 2 664 pounds (1 208 kg).
The top bluefin tuna sold during the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Central Wholesale Market in Toyosu reached JPY 36,040,000 (USD 274,120, EUR 256,785), carrying on a tradition started at the market's former location in Tsukiji and signaling some recovery from the pandemic.
Appearance. Atlantic bluefin tuna can reach 10 feet in length and 1,000 pounds. Most adults are around 200 pounds at 10 years of age.
The average price for Atlantic bluefin is around $200 per pound. Although yellowfin tuna isn't as common or as large as bluefin and are therefore less expensive. They are still a popular choice for culinary purposes. Yellowfin Tuna can be used to make sushi, sashimi and steaks.