Breaking news: Bluefin tuna catch quotas to increase in Western and Central Pacific Ocean!
Japan has proposed increasing its catch limits on Pacific bluefin tuna, a fish so sought-after for sushi and sashimi that its population is currently less than 5 percent of historical levels.
Members of the Northern Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission agreed to raise Japan’s quota for large bluefin tuna weighing 30 kilograms or more by 50 percent from the current level, with that of smaller bluefin tuna rising 10 percent. Japan had requested a 131% increase in the annual quota for large bluefin tuna and a 30% rise for smaller fish.
A slight rise in the spawning population of fish has boosted confidence that it can recover from decades of overfishing. Still, conservation experts believe that raising catch limits too soon would undo progress toward restoring the species. Increased catches of such fish could drive down prices and make the industry less profitable over the long haul.
Learn how the decision, supported by Japan and other countries, will impact global fisheries and conservation efforts.
Japan plays a critical role in the survival of the species not just because of its huge appetite for the fish. Almost the entire spawning of the bluefin occurs in the Pacific near Japan and Korea. Small tuna are also caught by Japanese fishermen to be farmed to adulthood, although the number of traditional artisanal fishermen has fallen in recent years as younger Japanese choose not to engage in such dangerous and difficult work.
Tuna lovers, rejoice! Now you can enjoy more…
Data published last week show that the spawning stock biomass of the bluefin Pacific, an indicator of the fish’s ability to reproduce at a sustainable level, grew to about 28,000 metric tons in 2018 from 10,837 metric tons in 2010. Back in 2017, the countries involved in management signed up to cut catches to help return the species to 20% of its historic size by 2034. Therefore, most species of tuna have seen their prices fall due to the oversupply of caught fish.
The total quota of the country is 7,609 tons per annum for large tuna, while for smaller tuna, it can be 4,725 tons, which Japan is allowed to take 5,614 tons and 4,007 tons, respectively.
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