- Pacific bluefin tuna catch quotas in the western and central Pacific will rise 25% to 14,836 tonnes per year in 2027 and 2028.
- Countries reached consensus after talks collapsed in July when Mexico opposed the proposal.
- Nations still need to agree on how the quotas will be divided, with difficult talks expected, says Japan.
Japan’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister announced that a Joint Working Group between the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) had successfully reached agreement on a new management framework for Pacific bluefin tuna.
The agreement establishes the methodology for setting catch limits between the eastern and western Pacific and will be used to calculate quotas for 2027 and 2028.
Under the agreement, the annual catch quota for large Pacific bluefin tuna in the western and central Pacific will increase by 25% to 14,836 tonnes a year in both 2027 and 2028.
Across the entire Pacific Ocean, the annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) will rise by about 18 per cent from 23,287 tonnes to 27,399 tonnes, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF).
“This resumed meeting resulted in an agreement on the method for setting catch quotas between the eastern and western Pacific regions. I believe this represents progress toward appropriately setting catch quotas in accordance with stock conditions,” said Norikazu Suzuki, Japan’s minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
According to MOF, the meeting also agreed to changes aimed at giving fleets greater operational flexibility, including a higher conversion factor for switching quota from smaller fish to larger fish and a move from annual to two-year quota management.
The measure is intended to encourage the harvest of larger fish rather than juveniles.
This development comes after the group failed to reach consensus during talks held in Nagasaki, Japan, on 14 July.
Japan had entered the negotiations seeking changes that would allow catch quotas to increase in line with the recovery of tuna stocks, particularly for larger fish.
The proposal failed to secure unanimous backing after Mexico objected, a result that Suzuki told reporters was “very disappointing”.
However, at the latest meeting, Suzuki said the proposal discussed in July had been “essentially agreed to in principle”.
Challenges remain
Japan views the agreement as an important step toward establishing catch quotas that more accurately reflect the status of tuna stocks.
“I believe it is very welcome progress that we have taken a step forward toward a 25% increase in the catch quota. Especially given what happened at the previous meeting in Nagasaki, the fact that Mexico also supported the agreement and that consensus was achieved is something that should be warmly welcomed,” said Suzuki.
Despite the agreement on the management framework, the minister cautioned that challenging negotiations remain ahead.
“Going forward, difficult negotiations are expected within the IATTC and the WCPFC as participating countries and regions seek consensus on matters such as the allocation of catch quotas. In particular, tough negotiations are expected with competing parties such as South Korea and Taiwan.”
Final allocations among fishing nations are expected to be negotiated and approved at the WCPFC annual meeting in Vanuatu in December.
“There is still a long way to go. We must continue with a strong sense of urgency, and the entire Fisheries Agency will work hard to ensure that Japan secures an adequate catch quota,” said Suzuki.
Tuna stocks increasing
Pacific bluefin tuna is among the world’s most valuable fish species and has been subject to stringent management measures for years amid concerns about overfishing.
Catch limits introduced by regional fisheries management bodies have been credited with helping stocks recover from historically low levels.
Suzuki acknowledged that local fishermen have struggled to operate under strict catch limits despite seeing more fish in local waters.
“I have repeatedly heard from fishermen all around Japan that Pacific bluefin tuna have truly been increasing in abundance,” said Suzuki.
An increase in tuna catches have also been observed in Korea.
“Recent increases in the catch of large Pacific bluefin tuna in Korean coastal waters, together with the discovery of spawning grounds in the East Sea, show that fishing patterns for bluefin tuna are changing rapidly as a result of shifts in the marine environment,” Seo Jin-hee, Director-General for International Cooperation and Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
