Thunnus

Turkish fishermen have thrown their nets into the sea to catch 2,600 tons of bluefin tuna in the international waters of the Mediterranean and off Malta within the framework of the quota allocated to Türkiye until July 1.

The top-selling tuna at Tokyo's traditional New Year auction sold for more than $270,000 yesterday, nearly double last year's price, breaking a pandemic trend of slumping demand.

Michelin-starred sushi restaurant Onodera Group and Japanese wholesaler Yamayuki forked out 36.04 million yen ($273,000) for the

212-kilo bluefin tuna in the auction at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.

Trapped on island habitats made smaller by rising seas, Indonesia's Komodo dragons were listed as "endangered" on Sept. 4, in an update of the wildlife Red List that also warned overfishing threatens nearly two-in-five sharks with extinction.

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In the final New Year's auction at Tokyo's famed Tsukiji fish market on Friday, the owner of an international sushi restaurant shelled out more than $300,000 for a prime bluefin tuna and said he was "very happy" with the result, according to Reuters.