Bluefin tuna quotas to be reduced

NHK reports that the catch quota of bluefin tuna, the highest quality tuna, for Japan and nine other countries and territories will be cut. The decision was made at the conference of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, which ended in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The representatives from 17 countries and territories discussed to what extent quotas should be cut for individual member countries, in order to achieve their basic policy for reducing the total fishing quota of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean by 20 percent to 25,500 tons by 2010.

With the agreement on the 23 percent cut, Japan's quota will be reduced from 2,830 to 2,174 tons.

This follows a decision last week at a five-day meeting in Kobe about ways to reverse the sharp decline in tuna catches worldwide.