Bluefin tuna sells for record $1.76 million

A single bluefin tuna has sold in Japan for 1.7million dollars, almost triple the record price set last year. High bids traditionally mark the year's first auction at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. Even the buyer, sushi chain owner Kiyoshi Kimura, who paid out the record price last year, said the cost was "a bit high." The sale came amid continued warnings from environmentalists that tuna stocks are dwindling and over-fished. This year's record-breaking fish was caught off north-eastern Japan and weighed in at 222kg (489lbs), some 47kg lighter than last year's prize-winner, which fetched 56 million yen, the BBC reported. The prices do not necessarily reflect quality or size and are more linked to publicity and setting the tone for the business year. (ANI)