First Su'ao bluefin tuna of season sold for nearly NT$1.99 million

Taipei, April 11 (CNA) A Pacific bluefin tuna designated as the "first Su'ao tuna" of the season was auctioned off in Yilan County on Saturday for NT$7,200 (US$226) per kilogram, fetching nearly NT$1.99 million.

The 276-kilogram fish was sold at Nanfang'ao Fishing Port, where buyers bid before the sale was finalized.

Caught by the Su'ao-registered Quan Chang Long No. 168 on Tuesday, the tuna was delivered to port the following day and designated Su'ao Township's first catch of the season.

According to the Su'ao Fishermen's Association, the title is awarded to the first vessel to return to port with a live-caught tuna taken by longline and weighing at least 180 kilograms.

The Quan Chang Long also received the honor in 2020 and 2025.

The Marine and Fisheries Development Office in Yilan said 2,240 Pacific bluefin tuna were auctioned in Nanfang'ao in 2023, rising to 4,000 in 2024 before falling to 3,545 last year.

It added that Saturday's auction marked the official start of this year's bluefin tuna season.