Taiwan’s first bluefin tuna of the season has been caught. It was snagged by a boat registered to Yilan’s Su’ao Township, which returned to port on Monday. The fish weighed in at 269 kilograms including ice, and it’s set to be auctioned on Wednesday.

Fishers lower a massive tuna into the hold, as they prepare to go back to port.

This is the first bluefin tuna caught this year in Taiwan. The fish weighed in at 269 kilograms, but its weight is expected to decrease once ice is factored in.

Lee Chia-hao
Fishing boat captain
I didn’t think much of it at the time. I just thought we’d caught a fish, but I didn’t know it was a bluefin tuna. We only realized after we hauled it on board. We were thrilled, and everyone started hurrying to work. We cut it up together, using what we had, and then we put it in the ice compartment.

The fish was caught by a Su’ao-registered fishing boat, which reported it Sunday morning. The boat’s captain is a 32-year-old Lee Chia-hao, who has now caught Su’ao’s first bluefin for the second consecutive year. The fish weighed more than 180 kilograms, and was caught alive, meeting the criteria for the distinction. And not only is it Su’ao’s first tuna, it’s also the first caught in Taiwan. After a long wait at the port, Lee’s mother embraced her son tightly upon his return.

Lee Hsieh Chiu-yen
Mother of Lee Chia-hao
The fishers at Donggang haven’t caught one yet. We’ll see whether the fish fetches a better price this year.

Chen Chun-sheng
Su-Ao Fishermen’s Association
The season officially starts April 1, so that’s when we start counting bluefin catch. The most important thing is that they have to be caught in Su’ao’s operating area, which is around Taiwan and Japan. The third is that the boat has to be registered to Yilan’s Su’ao Township. For the fish to be considered, all conditions have to be met.

To qualify as the first, a bluefin must fulfill requirements regarding weight, live capture, time, and boat registration. This fish met all the criteria, and is set to go up for auction on Wednesday.

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