Fishermen in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China recently made a rare catch in the East China Sea, hauling in two "giant" wild bluefin tuna, each weighing over 200 kilograms. Even the captain, who has more than 30 years of fishing experience, marveled that it was "unprecedented." Experts pointed out that the appearance of such giant bluefin tuna in the East China Sea reflects the ongoing improvement of the region’s fishery resources and marine ecology.
According to Chinese media reports, in the early morning of the 3rd of this month, local fisherman Fan Jitong, who has over 30 years of fishing experience, and his crew successfully caught the two giant bluefin tuna in area 1594 of the East China Sea. Each fish is reportedly about 2.5 meters long and weighs more than 200 kilograms. In an interview with Chinese media, Fan Jitong couldn’t hide his excitement, saying, "I’ve been fishing for more than 30 years, working in the East China Sea all year round, and this is the first time I’ve seen such big tuna—and to catch two at once!"
The two giant fish were later delivered to Wenling, Taizhou on the 6th of this month, where they were stored and sold by a local seafood company. Company representative Yu Xinyue said that in the past, most of the tuna caught in the East China Sea weighed only a few to several tens of jin. This catch is the largest he has ever seen in his life, and he believes it fully demonstrates the increasing abundance of fishery resources in the East China Sea.
Bluefin tuna is a high-grade ingredient for sashimi, and prime cuts such as the belly can sell for over 500 RMB (294 MYR) per jin in the market. Industry insiders estimate that the total market value of these two giant fish will exceed 100,000 RMB (58,800 MYR).
According to experts at the Zhejiang Provincial Marine Fisheries Research Institute, bluefin tuna is a pelagic migratory species at the top of the food chain. The appearance of such large individuals in the East China Sea is rare in recent years, which not only confirms the continued recovery of the East China Sea’s fishery resources, but also reflects the effectiveness of local management and conservation efforts.