The proposal of imported bluefin tuna prohibition

Oita Godo Newspaper (evening edition on November 9, 2009)

The white fat lies on the tuna meat is the reason why bluefin tuna, also known as Honmaguro, very popular and considered as high rank meat in Japan. This special tuna price might extremely increase in the nearly future. "Washington Proposal" is a proposal made by the group of people all over the world who concern about the animal which nearly going extinct. They are collecting the agreement to ban the import and export the bluefin tuna.

The bluefin tuna live in the sea nearby Japan, the Asia Pacific area, also around Atlantic Ocean. Their body has 3 meters long, weight around 400 kilograms, well known for the top of Sushi or Sashimi. In a high rank restaurant, one piece of this tuna might cost up to thousands yen.

The price is very expensive; on the other hand, its raising is extremely difficult. Thus, the fisherman all over the world came to Japan mainly for catching this bluefin tuna. Since its delicious and the need of bluefin tuna is increasing, these days they catch even the tiny tuna which bring about to the rapid decreasing of bluefin tuna. Therefore, Monaco has started banning the bluefin tuna imported from Atlantic Ocean since October according to Washington proposal.

In Japan, last year the imported bluefin tuna around 43,000 tons and half of that number were from Atlantic. If Japan is going to ban the import, there would be the lack of the bluefin tuna in Japanese market bring about to the extremely increasing price of tuna. However, the final conclusion will be discussed at Washington Proposal Conference at Qatar in March 2010.

Comment: Personally, I love the taste of Toro, but I have never taste Honmaguro yet. Though, I can guess it taste that would be as high as its price. To prohibit the import of tuna would be easy for other country, accept Japan that has a traditional way to eat raw fish. This is a very difficult question for Japan. I am looking forward to hear the answer from the conference next year.

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University