0 A Tuna Appreciated USD 3.5 Billion

A giant bluefin tuna sold for 396,000 U.S. dollars, or approximately USD 3.5 billion in the first auction this year at the world's largest fish market in Tokyo on Wednesday (01/05/2011), in bidding dawn.

Fish weighing 342 kg was caught around the islands north of Japan, Hokkaido, negotiable up to 32.49 million yen (396,000 dollars), said an official at the Tsukiji fish market. It was the highest bid value, larger than the previous record of 20.02 million yen worth of which also paid for bluefin tuna in 2001, said an officer.

Sashimi, foods from raw fish of the giant fish, estimated to be sold up to 3450 yen as an initial price, writes the local media. Fish is bought by a Japanese sushi restaurant owner and Hong Kong also make joint bid for another bluefin tuna in the first auction last year at the Tsukiji fish market is an area of more than 40 football fields.

"I feel relieved," said restaurant owner from Hong Kong, told reporters in that market, where a total of 538 bluefin tuna are also sold at high prices in the auction dawn. "Tuna is good," he said. "Prices are high because foreign buyers also want the tuna."

Local media said the bidders from China who are experiencing added demand for bluefin tuna species participate boost the selling price until it reaches a new record. "Globalization of food triggers higher prices," said a participant according to Kyodo news agency. "This is good news that turn the entire market. I hope the Japanese economy can also be encouraged and increased."

The period of excessive fish poaching has dropped the price of global tuna, sparked some Western countries to conduct trade restrictions on Atlantic bluefin tuna is rare. Japanese consume three-quarters of bluefin tuna caught in the world, the material of high priced sushi in Japan and is known as the Kuro maguro (tuna black) and referred to sushi lovers as "black diamonds" because of its rarity.