– They are struggling now. They have a few hours of hard work ahead of them, says general manager Eirik Sundal at Sabi Sushi. At a butcher’s bench, three sushi chefs do something they have never done before: Cut open a 300-kilogram mackerel sturgeon. Soon, the exclusive raw material will be served as sushi in restaurants. – It is the first time I have cut open such a large fish. It’s a very good experience, says sushi chef Vitalj Podgornyj. Due to overfishing, the fish species has almost disappeared from the Norwegian coast. It has a value of between NOK 50,000 and 100,000. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news Feared escape The mackerel sturgeon is rare in Norway. But the path to the slaughter table has also been unusual. It all started with an emergency situation when the mackerel sturgeon strayed into the salmon cage at Osland havbruk in Høyanger on Saturday morning. It triggered full alarm. The fear was that the large fish would cause the salmon to escape. The mackerel sturgeon was therefore shot by a hunter. It weighed 330 kilograms and was 282 centimeters long. The 300-kilogram mackerel sturgeon was discovered while feeding at Osland aquaculture in Høyanger. Photo: Osland Havbruk Mackerel sturgeon Mackerel sturgeon, also called sturgeon and bluefin tuna, is a fish in the mackerel family. The very largest species of tuna and one of the largest bony fish on the planet. The largest fish can be more than 3 meters long and weigh well over 500 kg. After improvements in stock development, Norway reopened fishing for mackerel sturgeon in 2014. Source: Norwegian Institute of Marine Research – Many thousands of sushi pieces The sushi chefs spent four hours carving out the noble raw material. – The fish is so big that even a large knife is small, says Sundal. Large parts of the tuna have been sold to the restaurant chain Sabi Sushi. As early as Tuesday afternoon, it will be possible to serve hungry guests. – There are a few kilos of meat. It is clear that there will be many, many thousands of pieces of sushi from this, says Sundal. Although the fish is exclusive, the prices on the menu will remain the same as before. – We intend to take a little more for the torso. It is an exclusive item. The large tuna will provide many thousands of pieces of sushi, says general manager Eirik Sundal at Sabi Sushi. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news The right piece in the right place Market manager Kenneth Larsen in Lerøy Alfheim sells the various parts to sushi restaurants and grocery stores in Bergen. – This is a fish that must be respected. It has different qualities and values. Our job will be to ensure that the right piece ends up in the right place, says Larsen. He estimates that the fish has a value of between NOK 50,000 and 100,000. Due to overfishing, the fish species has almost disappeared from the Norwegian coast. It took four hours and three sushi chefs to split the 300-kilogram mackerel sturgeon that appeared in a farm on Saturday morning. For sushi chef Vitalj Podgornyj (left), this was a completely new experience. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news
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– Will be many thousands of pieces of sushi – news Vestland
