TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The fishing boat Zai Fa 668 (再發668號), operating out of Yilan’s Su'ao Township, caught the first tuna of the year, weighing 269 kilograms, on Monday (April 15).

Taiwan’s tuna season runs from April to June, with boats departing from Yilan’s Su'ao in the north or Pingtung’s Donngang in the south. Fishermen compete for the honor of making the first tuna catch of the year.

This year, 33-year-old fishing boat captain Li Jia-hao (李家豪) hauled in the first tuna catch. Li was also last year’s winner, per UDN.

Locally caught tuna is prized by restaurants and consumers, and it is sold for high market prices. 

On the second day of fishing, Li said his boat sailed to waters covered by the Taiwan-Japan Fishery Agreement. He encountered six foreign fishermen, who pulled in large catches.  

When the fishermen eventually pulled the fish aboard, they were overjoyed to discover it was a tuna. Li immediately headed back to the harbor to show off the prized catch.

Su'ao Fishermen’s Association Director-General Chen Chun-sheng (陳春生) said certain criteria need to be met to earn the distinction of the first tuna catch of the year. The tuna must weigh more than 180 kg, be hooked alive by a Su'ao-registered longline fishing vessel, and be caught after April 1. 

This year’s first tuna catch is expected to be auctioned on Wednesday (April 17). Chen said the tuna weighed 269 kg and measured 253 cm in length.

Last year’s first tuna catch weighed 320 kg and fetched NT$7,000 (US$216) per kg at auction, meeting a total price of NT$2.24 million.