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Japan’s bluefin tuna catch quota increases

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
A high school student cuts a bluefin tuna at an event in Minami, Tokushima Prefecture, on Nov. 13.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:28 JST, November 25, 2022

Japan’s annual quota for bluefin tuna catches in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean will increase by 295 tons to 3,114 tons in 2023-2025, compared to 2022, the Fisheries Agency has announced Thursday.

The decision was made at an annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) held in Portugal from Nov. 14-21.

The Atlantic Ocean is the source of about 30% of Japan’s total catch of bluefin tuna, which is commonly served as sashimi and sushi.

The total annual quota for bluefin tuna catches in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean for ICCAT member countries and regions was increased by 12.7% to 40,570 tons from the 2022 level, amid the ongoing recovery of fish stocks.

The annual quota in the Western Atlantic Ocean was kept at 2,726 tons for ICCAT members, with Japan’s quota set at 664.52 tons.