Japan to use penal regulations on bluefin tuna catches

December 30, 2017

Tokyo- The Fisheries Agency will start penal regulations on Pacific bluefin tuna catches by Japanese fishermen in January 2018, in line with stricter international controls aimed at preventing overfishing.

The agency hopes that comprehensive resources management will allow Japanese fishermen to continue catching the prized fish amid concerns over the depletion of tuna stocks, officials said.

Japan is the world's largest consumer of Pacific bluefin tuna, used for high-end sushi toppings and sashimi.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission allocates catch quotas to its member economies, including Japan and the United States.

On the basis of the national quota, Japan distributes portions to domestic fishermen in line with fishing method and region of operations. But fishermen in many areas have caught more than permitted, raising questions about the effectiveness of current regulations in preventing overfishing.

Under the new penal regulations, fishermen will be required to submit periodic reports on details of their hauls and the agency will be authorized to order fishermen to suspend operations if their catches are likely to outstrip the limits.

A violator will face a prison term of up to three years or a fine not exceeding 2 million yen.

The current regulations have no penalty provision. Maintaining fishing limits effectively depends on voluntary efforts by fishermen.

The penal regulations will come into force in January 2018 for round haul net fishing, which uses medium- and large-sized ships, and in July that year for coastal fishing, including fixed net fishing.

Pacific bluefin tuna resources were estimated at 17,000 tons in 2014, in terms of adult fish, only one-10th of the level of the early 1960s. Since 2015, the WCPFC has substantially cut catch quotas assigned to member economies in a bid to help a recovery of resources.

Japanese fisheries industry people are concerned that the United States and the European Union may call for a further tightening of international regulations if resources fail to recover strongly.

The WCPFC aims to increase Pacific bluefin tuna resources to about 41,000 tons by 2024 and some 130,000 tons by 2034.

Japan hopes to gain a lager catch quota by contributing to an early recovery of resources, the officials said. Jiji Press