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Li Jing

Fishermen in northeastern China netted two large swordfish and were selling them at a local market for 100 yuan per kilogram on Saturday, local media reported.
The larger one, measuring 4.1 metres long and weighing 310kg, was reportedly the largest ever caught by Qingdao fishermen in the Yellow sea. The other one was a little over 200kg, local portal Qingdaonews.com reported.
A local fisherman said the giant fish most probably swam into the net while chasing smaller fish.
Local fishmonger Shi Donglei bought the larger fish for about 19,000 yuan (HK$23,000), or around 60 yuan per kg.
He said he could have made more money had he sold it to specimen collectors.
But he decided to cut it into pieces and sell it on the market “so that more Qingdao residents could have a taste of it”, according to the report.
However, as swordfish are so-called apex predators, the report also warned that the fish meat could contain highly toxic methylmercury accumulated through the food chain, which could be harmful to humans.
The Yellow Sea, in particular Bohai Bay, were once some of China’s most productive fishing grounds. But today, due to industrial pollution and oil spills, they are among the most degraded marine areas in the world.
Swordfish are more common along the southern coastline, such as Fujian. But they sometime travel north to the Yellow Sea in search of food.
A three-month fishing moratorium was lifted in Qingdao only a few days ago.
Local fishermen said it was the only time they could catch swordfish when the local fish resources were still relatively abundant.


‘Largest-ever’ swordfish caught in China’s Yellow Sea ends up in market

A local fishmonger paid about 19,000 for the fish, which he sold for about 100 yuan per kg. Photo: Ifeng.com

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