TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A fishing boat operating out of Yilan’s Suao Township on Sunday caught the first tuna of the year, weighing 216 kilograms.

The bluefin tuna was caught in the waters northeast of Taiwan. It met the standard of "Suao's First Tuna" after being weighed at the port, per CNA. 

Captain Lin Yi-chun (林宜俊) said he used specially prepared squid and mackerel as bait to catch the tuna. He said the catch felt like hitting the jackpot.

Taiwan’s tuna season runs from April to June, with boats departing from Yilan’s Suao Township in the north or Pingtung’s Donngang Township in the south. Fishers compete to make the first tuna catch of the year.

To claim the title, the tuna must weigh over 180 kg, the boat must be registered to Suao Township, and the fish must be live-caught on longline fishing equipment. 

In 2020, the same boat earned a similar honor, hauling in a 216-kilogram tuna. It sold for NT$10,000 (US$ 302) per kilogram, with a total price of NT$2 million, at the public auction, setting a record for the price per kilogram for tuna.

Quan Chang Lung No. 168 (全昌隆168號), which left the port on Wednesday, caught the prized catch on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. The boat was fishing in waters off the northeast coast of Taiwan within areas permitted by a Taiwan-Japan fisheries agreement. The fishing boat returned to Nanfangao Fishing Port early this morning.

The 49-year-old captain told CNA that catching the first tuna in 2020 was an accident. He had used live milkfish as bait and did not expect to catch bluefin tuna. 

Last year, the first tuna sold for NT$13,100 per kilogram. Lin said his selling price would be higher than last year by NT$100 per kilogram. He is also hoping for NT$15,000 per kilogram.

Lin said it has become harder to catch tuna, while wages for foreign fishers have increased. He estimated that the cost of employing five Indonesian fishers on his boat, along with labor and health insurance, is NT$300,000 per month.