Tuna auction at the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market or Tsukiji Fish Market. It's the largest fish market in the world, handling 2000 tonnes of seafood every day, with around 60,000 employees.
From mid-December 2008 to late January 2009, market authorities banned visitors to the market, because of alleged chaos and misbehaviour, apparently by foreign tourists. This included drunkness, getting in the way of employees, and touching the fish.
Of 23 commercially exploited tuna stocks, nine are thought to be fully fished, another four are thought to be overexploited or depleted, three are are critically endangered, three are endangered and finally, three are vulnerable to extinction.
In early January, one single bluefin tuna, weighing 128kg was sold for $153,000 at Tsukiji. Japan is the world's largest consumer of fish.























































New: Got a glimpse of this through
Got a glimpse of this through the film "End of the Line". Really makes you re-think becoming a fish-only vegetarian.
eve isk
New: There was a 60 Minutes story
There was a 60 Minutes story last year about how fished the tuna industry is in Japan. Tuna size has dropped over 50% over the last 15 years. Most tuna caught now are not even adult sized.
New: Thanks - I was in Tokyo three
Thanks - I was in Tokyo three times last year for a couple of weeks at a time, mainly wearing one of my other hats - as a press officer for Greenpeace International, working on the whale meat scandal and the Tokyo Two campaign.
New: Great story - how long
Great story - how long were/are you in tokyo for?
New: great story not sure i want
great story not sure i want to eat tuna anymore tho... heheh
New: very interesting story! l
very interesting story! l