Pacific bluefin tuna, whose stocks are recovering. (Courtesy of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
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An international conference on Pacific bluefin tuna management was recently held in Nagasaki.
Japan proposed increasing next year's catch quota for tuna weighing 30 kilograms (66 lbs) or more by 25%, while reducing the quota for smaller fish by 6% to help preserve the stock.
It was a balanced proposal that would have allowed greater use of the recovering resource without compromising its sustainability.
However, Mexico unexpectedly opposed the plan in the final stages of the talks, preventing the participants from reaching an agreement.
Many consumers had hoped the proposal would eventually lead to lower prices for premium cuts such as fatty tuna. The Japanese government must now work with the other participating countries and regions to resume negotiations as soon as possible.
A Success Story in Recovery
Pacific bluefin tuna populations were severely depleted by overfishing. By 2018, the stock had fallen to its lowest level since 1995. Since then, however, conservation measures adopted by Japan and other fishing nations and regions have helped the population recover.
The recovery is already evident along Japan's coast, where fixed-net fisheries are catching increasing numbers of bluefin tuna. Yet catch limits have not kept pace with the growing population, forcing fishermen in many areas to release tuna back into the sea or suspend operations to avoid exceeding their quotas.
The very fishermen who helped rebuild the stock are now unable to benefit from its recovery. In some cases, they must also discard other fish caught in the same nets, placing additional financial pressure on coastal fishing communities.
Conservation and sustainable use are not competing goals—the purpose of fisheries management is to strike a balance between them. Catch quotas should be revised whenever scientific assessments show that fish stocks have recovered enough to support sustainable harvesting.
Science Over Politics
Because Pacific bluefin tuna migrate across the Pacific, they are harvested by Japan, the United States, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and other countries and regions. That makes it especially important for catch quotas to be based on shared scientific data and transparent rules, rather than political bargaining or the protection of vested interests.
This is also an opportunity for Japan to rethink its seafood consumption habits. Japanese consumers tend to focus on a handful of popular species, including tuna, salmon, and eel. Yet the waters around Japan, where warm and cold currents meet, support an extraordinary diversity of seafood.
Many excellent species remain underused simply because they are less well known, require more preparation, or are landed in relatively small quantities.
Pacific bluefin tuna stocks have recovered enough to justify greater use of the resource under sound scientific management. At the same time, consumers can help support a more resilient fishing industry by broadening their tastes and choosing seasonal local fish alongside familiar favorites.
Making full use of the ocean's rich bounty is the best way to sustain both Japan's fishing industry and its seafood culture. Pacific bluefin tuna can become a model for achieving that balance.
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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