Pingtung Bluefin Tuna Season "First Tuna Auction" Sets Record High Unit Price

The Pingtung First Tuna Auction kicked off lively on the morning of the 22nd at the Donggang Fish Market, also raising the curtain on the nearly 2-month-long bluefin tuna season. After the first tuna caught by the Donggang-registered fishing boat Yu Lai Man No. 6 was weighed, Pingtung County Magistrate Pan Meng-an announced it weighed 206 kg. The auction also drew a bid of 8,600 yuan per kg, setting a record high in history. The total auction price was 1,771,600 yuan. The winning bidder, Xiao Shou-fa, owner of Donggang Jia Zhen Seafood Restaurant, won the first tuna for the 10th time. He also announced on the spot that all proceeds from the sale of the first tuna would be donated to the fishermen's maritime disaster relief fund, drawing a round of applause.

Pingtung County Magistrate Pan Meng-an stated that Donggang Township in Pingtung County is the largest bluefin tuna production area in all of Taiwan, China. In recent years, the county government has devoted itself to helping traditional fisheries transform, combining local culture, industry, tourism and other resources to successfully establish the reputation of the "Bluefin Tuna Cultural and Tourism Season," attracting many tourists every year to join in the event.

Magistrate Pan Meng-an pointed out that this year's first tuna was caught by the Donggang-registered fishing boat "Yu Lai Man No. 6" in the waters southeast of Taiwan, China, meeting the criteria for the first tuna. It fetched a record-high auction price, attracting nationwide attention and driving local tourism development. The annual bluefin tuna season has raised its curtain. Everyone is welcome to come to Donggang to eat seafood, enjoy the light displays and listen to music, and welcome the arrival of early summer with the warmth of southern Taiwan!

This year's bluefin tuna season officially begins after the auction, and many series of activities welcome everyone to participate. There will be an opening gala at 6 p.m. on May 12; from May 5 to June 30, multiple sets of artistic light installations will be displayed and lit along the Guangfu Road canal every night at 6 p.m.; at 7 p.m. on May 26, the film "Drifting Harbor" will be screened in front of the temple courtyard of Donglong Temple in Donggang; and at 6 p.m. on June 16, there will also be a specialty snack banquet featuring local snacks and delicacies from Donggang and Xiaoliuqiu, held in front of the temple courtyard of Donglong Temple, with a limited 100 tables. Public reservations for the banquet tables will open on May 5, offering the most local, most delicious and most abundant snack dishes! For details, please check the Pingtung County Government official website or the "Pingtung County Government Department of Tourism and Communications" Facebook page.