‘Record price’ for 15.3kg farmed salmon
A 15.3kg salmon harvested in New Zealand was sold to a “foodie” in the United States for NZ $1700 (£886) in an online auction, making it perhaps the world’s most expensive single salmon.
The fish was one of a tiny number of Chinook (king) salmon grown for longer and to a larger size than normal by New Zealand King Salmon, reports Stuff website.
New Zealand King Salmon boss Grant Rosewarne told Stuff it was possibly the most expensive salmon ever sold, excepting charity auctions.
The company’s “tyee” salmon take around four years to grow compared with two for its Ōra King salmon, and only around 10 such fish are produced monthly. In total, the company has produced around 1,200.
‘Lifetime fan’
Robert Palmer of Orlando, Florida, bought the pricey fish on an e-commerce site called Goldbelly. It was the first time a New Zealand King Salmon tyee was sold to someone who was not a commercial chef.
Palmer told Stuff he was a “lifetime fan” of Ōra King Salmon, having seen the fish “praised by top chefs”.
The fish arrived last week, and lived up to Palmer’s expectations. “We started eating it right away, as sashimi, sushi and grilled. The rest of the fish was put in our super-freezer,” he said.
