At a meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in Fukuoka, Japan, representatives from the nine participating countries agreed to the reduction in order to confront concerns of overfishing. The deal will see a 15% reduction in the amount of bluefin tuna under the age of three caught. The 15% will be based on 2002-2004 averages.
US representatives had proposed a 25% reduction, but representatives from several countries feared that would have a significant impact on already struggling local fishing industries. Eight of the participating nations ultimately accepted Japan’s 15% proposal. South Korea did not agree to the deal, and have requested to be exempt from the agreement.
Greenpeace has strongly criticised the proposed reduction, insisting a temporary but total ban on tuna fishing is necessary to ensure future sustainability for bluefin tuna fishing in Pacific waters.
Bluefin tuna have been a cause of contention among fishing industries, governments, environmental activists and many other groups. Reports suggest population numbers are down as much as 96% in some waters as a result of overfishing, with many fish being caught too young to reproduce. There have also been concerns raised about the mercury levels in tuna meat, potentially negatively impacting human health.
Tests have also suggested many schools of fish have been contaminated by radiation leaking into the ocean from Fukushima, although other scientists have downplayed the danger to humans. However, South Korea has today announced they will be banning all fish imports from Japan's northeastern coast because of radiation fears.
Earlier this year, a single bluefin tuna weighing almost 500 pounds was sold at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market’s tuna auction for 155 million yen (around €1.2 million), shattering previous records for the amount paid for a single tuna. The fish was bought by the owner of a chain of sushi restaurants, who opted to pay the staggering sum as part of an annual publicity stunt to promote the Japanese fishing and tuna industry.
