💰
Economics
The Global Bluefin Tuna Trade
The extraordinary economic story of bluefin tuna - once considered trash fish, now one of the most valuable single fish sold anywhere.
Era: Contemporary Region: Global
📖 Overview
Until the 1960s, bluefin tuna sold for pennies per pound and was often turned into cat food. Then Japanese airlines began flying frozen North Atlantic bluefin to Tokyos Tsukiji market for sushi. Prices exploded. In 2019, a single 278kg bluefin sold at Toyosu Market for $3.1 million. The commercial demand pushed the species to the brink - Atlantic bluefin populations dropped 85% between 1970 and 2010 before international quotas began recovery.