Atlantic tuna deal done, seen lowering prices in Japan

November 23, 2017

Tokyo- An international fishery panel has agreed to raise the ceiling on bluefin tuna catches in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea, by about 50 percent from the current level by 2020.

The decision, made at an annual meeting in Morocco through Tuesday of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, is expected to lead to falls in prices in Japan, as the fish from the region accounts for about 40 percent of bluefin tuna traded in the country.

The agreement calls for raising ICCAT members' total Atlantic bluefin tuna catch quota from 23,000 tons in 2017 to 28,000 tons in 2018, to 32,000 tons in 2019 and to 36,000 tons in 2020, according to Japan's Fisheries Agency. Japan's quota will increase from 1,900 tons in 2017 to 2,800 tons in 2020.

The decision followed a recovery in bluefin tuna resources in the region as the result of strict regulations in response to sharp falls in stocks due to overexploitation.

Last month, the ICCAT's scientific committee released a report saying that a hike in the catch ceiling is unlikely to have a major impact on Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks.

The ICCAT comprises about 50 countries and regions, including Japan and the European Union. Jiji Press