Bluefin Tuna Sells for $1.8M

If last year's record price of $736,000 seemed high for a bluefin tuna, then this year's new mark will be even harder to fathom: The owner of a Japanese restaurant chain paid $1.8 million at an annual Tokyo auction, reports the BBC. Even he thought it seemed a "bit high" for the 489-pound fish—about $3,600 a pound—now destined for sushi and sashimi plates.

The auction helps kick off the new year, and the high prices are more publicity stunt than an indication of quality fish, explains the AP. Meanwhile, the Pew Environmental Group is coming out with numbers on Monday that will show a continued sharp decline in bluefin stocks. "Everything we're hearing is that there's no good news for the Pacific bluefin," says a group member. "We're seeing a very high-value fish continue to be overfished." (More bluefin tuna stories.)