Fishermen drag tuna behind the boat primarily to bleed them slowly and cool them down, which preserves the meat quality and increases its market value, preventing the flesh from "burning" due and spoiling due to high body heat from the fight. This process, often done after a quick "Iki-jime" spike to stop stress, involves tying a rope to the tail and letting the fish swim slowly alongside, allowing the heart to pump out blood and the muscles to cool down gradually.
The 276-kilogram tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in the northeastern prefecture of Aomori Japan…
Bluefin tuna sells for record $3.2 million at year-opening auction at Tokyo fish market. TOKYO (AP) — A massive 243-kilogram (535-pound) bluefin tuna sold for a record 510 million yen ($3.2 million) at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.
Bleeding improves the appearance of uncooked tuna flesh, helps initially to reduce the fish's body temperature and also gets rid of all the bacteria located in the fish's blood stream that may foul the flesh. All tuna should be bled for 10 to 15 minutes after iki-spiking and then immediately chilled.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists both the Atlantic and the southern bluefin tuna as endangered or critically endangered on its “Red List” of imperiled species.
The unhealthiest fish to eat are typically large, predatory species high in mercury like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and imported tilefish, plus bluefin tuna, which are dangerous for brain/nerve health, especially for pregnant women and children; also, farmed salmon and some imported tilapia/catfish raise concerns for contaminants and antibiotics, while orange roughy and Atlantic cod are often cited for high mercury and overfishing/sustainability issues.
Only vessels holding an annually-issued Federal permit to fish commercially for Atlantic bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin and albacore tuna are legally allowed to sell their catch. By law, all commercially-caught catch can only be sold to a U.S. federally-licensed fish dealer.
Health Benefits
Bluefin tuna is a very good source of protein, thiamin, selenium, vitamin B6, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish worth a million dollars are typically rare, high-quality bluefin tuna sold at Japan's New Year auctions for prestige and good fortune, or exceptionally rare Japanese koi bred for unique colors and patterns, with recent sales reaching over $3 million for tuna and $1.8 million for koi. These prices reflect cultural value, culinary demand, and the fish's status as a collector's item rather than just food.
Fish that's consumed raw in sushi must be frozen to -20°C (-4°F) for 7 days or -35°C (-31°F) for 15 hours. This process will destroy any parasite in the fish making it safer to consume but there's still risk.
Tuna Fish Market Insights
The demand for ready-to-eat food is rising quickly as a result of people's hectic schedules, with canned tuna being a common option. Japan is the world's largest consumer of tuna. Japan consumes a quarter of the world's tuna catch, mostly for sashimi use.
Captain TJ Ott is fishing boat captain and a TV star of national Geography show “Wicked Tuna” and its spin-off “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks.” The show is about the fisherman based in Glochester, Massachusetts who commercially fishes Bluefin Tuna meanwhile they take on the challenge to catch more fish than others before ...
Tuna fish die as soon as they are taken. out of the water. In fact, they can even die underwater when they stop moving. Tuna fish can only survive with the oxygen.
Some tuna cans that say do not drain because they don't add oil, water, fillers, preservatives, and GMO soy broth. Cans that say do not drain contain only tuna or sometimes salmon. They only have natural occurring fish oils and juices and those are rich in omega threes.
Massive Bluefin Tuna the Size of a Motorcycle Sells for $1.3 Million at a Japanese Fish Market | The fish weighed 608 pounds and it garnered the second highest bid at the Toyosu Market since records began in 1999.
Overall, salmon offers higher levels of brain-boosting omega-3 fats, and much higher levels of bone-strengthening calcium. While tuna contains less of these, it's still a good source of omega-3 fats and an excellent source of hunger-busting protein.
Atlantic bluefin tuna reach maturity relatively quickly. In a survey that included specimens up to 2.55 m (8.4 ft) in length and 247 kg (545 lb) in weight, none was believed to be older than 15 years. However, very large specimens may be up to 50 years old.
This means that farming tuna not only removes tuna from the ocean, but also removes other important species, contributing to issues of over-fishing, bycatch loss, and disturbing the natural ecosystem.
Last week, A 276kg bluefin tuna sold for 207 million yen ($1.3M) at Tokyo's Toyosu Market. It is Japan's 2nd most expensive priced tuna! It was caught in Oma (a town in Japan) and went to Michelin-starred Sushi Ginza Onodera.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that to consume those higher amounts, children should only be fed fish from the “Best Choices” list that are even lower in mercury – these fish are anchovies, Atlantic mackerel, catfish, clams, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, mullet, oysters, plaice, pollock, salmon, ...
as unclean (verse 27). He tells us that salt- and freshwater fish with fins and scales may be eaten (verses 9-12), but water creatures without those characteristics (catfish, lobsters, oysters, shrimp, crabs, clams, mussels, squid, frogs, octopi, etc.) should not be eaten.
Yes, sardines are generally considered healthier than tuna because they are significantly lower in mercury, higher in omega-3s (EPA/DHA), and packed with calcium, vitamin D, and B12, though tuna offers more protein per serving, making sardines the more nutrient-dense choice overall with fewer contaminants.