In 2013, Kiyoshi Kimura, the owner of a Japanese sushi restaurant chain, paid $1.76 million for the first bluefin at Tsukiji, which weighed 489 pounds. Kimura had paid $736,000—a world-record price at the time—for the first tuna of 2012. That fish weighed 593 pounds. It's no surprise, then, that journalists were steeling themselves for what was sure to come on January 4, 2014: If the past decade's trend in pricing continued, this year's first tuna would surely fetch more than a million dollars. But the Tsukiji fish market bucked tradition this weekend and sold its first tuna to Kimura, yet again, for a mere $70,000. That's still way more money than most bluefin go for in Japan. But compared to what everyone was expecting—an extravagant sum to start off the new year and remind us that these are the most prized fish in the sea—that's one crazy cheap tuna. Although the significance of the almost-$2 million tuna in 2013 was recognized worldwide, not everyone agreed on what that said about the actual value of global tuna stocks.

It was tempting to see the price surge as a function of the fish's rarity, but then why weren't restaurants raising the prices of the bluefin dishes on their menus?Andrew David Thaler, who writes about the ocean on his blog Southern Fried Science, had this to say about the many factors at play in the Tsukiji auction last January: I’m certain that we’ll see this number presented as an argument against bluefin tuna fishing, as an example of an industry out-of-control, and as a symbol of how ruthlessly we'll hunt the last few members of a species to put on our dinner plates. These issues are reflected in the tuna market, but I want to urge caution in drawing too many conclusions from this record breaking number. There are several issues in play at the first tuna auction of the year, and only some of them relate to the tuna fishery. Among the patrons of the Tsukiji fish auction, it is considered an honor to buy the first bluefin of the new years, and bidding wars reflect this fight for status.

The massive international headlines that follow the purchase of such a fish is free advertising for the winner. As many auction-goers know, landing a high, early win is a way of marking your territory and letting your competitors know that you have the bankroll to push them out of a bidding war.sushi cat 2 kizi 2 If $1.8 million is actually what this fish is worth to the consumer, it would sell for a hefty $345 at the dinner table, minimum. fresh sushi grade fish vancouverThe owner, Kiyoshi Kimura, reports that the tuna will be sold at a huge loss–about $4.60 per serving.jiro dreams of sushi bio All three species of bluefin tuna are currently overfished, and over the last few years attempts to protect bluefin tuna have been thwarted by fishing interests in Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and Mediterranean countries, among others. samurai sushi menu riverview

While this record breaking sale should serve a clarion call for increased scrutiny of the global tuna trade, it does not accurately reflect the market value of the fish. What should we make of the dramatic nosedive in bluefin bidding at this year's auction? sushi tei delivery order jakartaTo answer that, we need to understand how this species rose to such prestige in the first place.  free online youda sushi chef gameIn the 1960s, no one wanted bluefin. sushi grade tuna njIn the United States, the fish sold for pennies per pound, and it was usually ground up for cat food. Japan fished for it, but few people there liked the bluefin's bloody, fatty meat. Then sushi bars started cropping up in America, and Americans developed a taste for toro—the prime meat of the bluefin's belly.

By the 1970s, the Japanese had also developed a taste for bluefin. All of a sudden, bluefin was one of the most sought-after fish not only by Japanese fishermen but also by American and Canadian ones. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, between 1970 and 1990 fishing for bluefin in the Western Atlantic increased by more than 2,000 percent. The average price paid to Atlantic fishermen for bluefin exported to Japan rose by 10,000 percent. And it was mostly all being exported to Japan. Even today, a bluefin caught off the coast of New Hampshire will be shipped off to Tokyo before ending up on sushi plates somewhere else.  The graph above was published in a 2013 stock assessment by the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean. It was this stock assessment that prompted The Pew Charitable Trusts to announce, just days after Kimura bought his tuna for $1.76 million, that global bluefin tuna stock has declined by 96.4 percent from pre-1950 levels.

Bill's Lobster has been in business for over 10 years at Gerrard and Broadview in the heart of East Chinatown. The north-facing fish shop is simply laid out, with tanks of lobsters in front, a fish counter in the centre and some more exotic fare at the back. Beyond fresh fish and seafood on ice, Bill also sells imported goods like soba noodles, miso powder, dried seaweed and a selection of frozen goods including King Crab legs and pre-cooked shrimp. tilapia masquerading as white tuna , and Atlantic halibut ( ) being sold under the label of B.C. halibut, it's no wonder that consumers are having a hard time knowing how and where to buy their fish. And contrary to what you might think, it isn't just big grocery chains that are guilty of mislabeling and misidentifying goods; restaurants and small producers are doing it too. Upon meeting him, what I admire most about Bill is his passion and knowledge of the industry. He always has the findings of a report to share and has direct relationships with the fishermen that supply his store.

Using regular salmon as an example, Bill quizzes me on what I think I should be looking for when picking a piece out. My first answer is correct -- smell is far and away the best way to tell if your fish is fresh. Fresh fish should not smell fishy. But my second answer -- colour -- isn't quite so accurate. Bill reveals that farm-raised salmon, commonly found at grocery stores, is fed varying types of meal that enhance their colour. To my horror, he produces a colour palette not unlike one found at a paint store, which is distributed by a company that sells fish meal. Fish farmers can select the colour they want their salmon to be, ranging from a pale rose to an orange that's unnaturally psychedelic. Bill advises that consumers ought to spend the extra money on purchasing wild or organic salmon. He sells organic salmon from Ireland or Scotland at $19/pound and wild Pacific salmon at $17/pound. At the start of the salmon season in May, he'll also carry wild spring salmon from British Columbia.

Come lobster season in early May, Bill's lobster sells at $6/pound. Currently in the off-shore fishing season, they sell at $10/pound. Bill sources directly from Nova Scotia and tells me that he gets the lobster directly from the fishermen, eliminating the need for wholesalers. I ask to see the biggest lobster in the tank, and he brings out a 16 pound sucker that gives him a hard time coming out of the tank. He notes that the turnaround time for lobster in his store is no more than two to three days. Continuing on down the narrow room, Bill pauses at the tray of scallops on ice and teaches me another industry trick. Treated scallops (referred to as "wet" scallops), typically found at supermarkets or in frozen form, are soaked in preservatives, meaning that the meat absorbs more fluid, which makes them larger and thus more expensive per pound. When cooked, the excess water evaporates, leaving a shrunken, dry and often tasteless scallop. On the other hand, wild scallops are considered "dry" -- meaning they are not treated with any chemicals and are harvested directly from the ocean and often frozen immediately to preserve their freshness.

Bill sources his jumbo scallops from Digby, Nova Scotia. They sell at $17/pound (where about eight pieces constitute a pound). Jumbo tiger shrimp from Florida sell at $14/pound, while choice-grade oysters from P.E.I. sell at $1.50 a piece. I glance over at my date who is occupied with taking a picture of a lobster with his iPhone and silently consider the aphrodisiac properties of oysters. I carefully consider buying two to slurp right then and there, but decide that taking him to a fishmonger on a Saturday afternoon is probably sexy enough... Bill's last lesson is about sushi-grade fish, which he advises is a dangerous game if not played correctly. Fish sold to be eaten raw must be stored, frozen, defrosted and prepared very carefully. Bill sells sushi-grade tuna and salmon and says that he gives his customers careful instructions when they purchase these products. Depending on the season, he will also carry a variety of fish including Atlantic Halibut, Alaskan Black Cod, Arctic Char, Greenland Halibut, Wild Pacific Snapper, and some more exotic varieties including Branzino from Spain and Turbot from France.