HAIKOU, May 6. /TASS/. A fishing club in China purchased a rare tuna weighing about 350 kg, caught in Hainan's Sanya. According to the Sanya Daily, the fishermen sold the fish to the owner of the organization for 100,000 yuan (about $ 15,000 at the current exchange rate).

“Tuna is now selling for about 300 yuan (about $ 46) per pound in the Chinese market, and this fish could have been sold for twice as much,” said ship owner Zhu Qingdong, who managed to catch a rare specimen by the end of the season.

According to the fisherman, he sees such a large specimen for the first time in all 40 years of work in the fishing industry. "I am a little bit sorry that I sold so cheaply. However, this is an unusual catch," added Zhu Qingdong.

The club does not yet know how to manage the fish which is 2.7 m long and 2 m in girth. It took more than 10 people to get the fish out of the water. The tuna has already been delivered to the provincial capital of Hainan, Haikou, where it is still stored in a large refrigerator.

According to the decision of the Chinese authorities, a temporary ban on fishing activities has been introduced in the waters of the South China Sea, controlled by Beijing, from May 1. The next season will open on August 16.