(Abstract)
When we think about Japan, oftentimes we consider their quality and inexpensive seafood. Japan is the largest tuna-eating country in the world, making up 80% of the global sashimi-tuna market and 27% of all tuna consumption. As an island nation in the pacific east, it’s not surprising that Japan gets a lot of their food and economy from the ocean.
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Oma is a small fishing port town of about 5,000 residents at the most northern point in Japan’s Honshu region in the Aomori prefecture, providing some of the finest tuna to restaurants around the country. Just in 2019, a 278 kg tuna caught in Oma had made the world news when it sold for ¥336.6 million (~$2.2 million)– which at the time was the highest price ever paid for a single fish. Oma– and lots of other smaller isolated Japanese fishing ports– rely on tuna fishing for income and agricultural independence. Therefore, when demand for tuna is high and fishing seasons are short, the rest of Japan pressures smaller fishing ports like Oma to ramp up their fishing.
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Due to the domestic consumer market and high demand for international exports, Japan’s fishing industry has engaged in extensive overfishing in the past few decades. In 2013, scientists estimated that bluefish numbers had dropped to under 4% of their original un-fished populations. To combat this, the Japanese government enacted a TAC system that banned fishermen from catching tuna under 30 kg and required caught tuna over 30 kg to be reported, so they could track fishing numbers. As they collected more data, it became clear that tuna fishing had far exceeded expected amounts. As a result, the government had to enforce additional restrictions such as banning tuna fishing in late August and inflicting harsher fines and jail time for those who violated fishing laws.
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Despite these measures, many fishermen have resorted to hiding their catches from their government, a trend that has contributed to inaccurate fishing data and false comfort. For example Aomori, where Oma is located, has reported over 92 tons of unreported tuna in 2020, making up over 10% of the expected quota. In February 2023, two Japanese fishing company presidents in Oma were arrested after having been found to have smuggled approximately 98 tons of tuna, who sold the tuna to major conveyor belt sushi chains and to online third party vendors.
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Recently in 2025, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) agreed to increase big bluefin tuna quotas by 50%, raising Japan’s 5,614-ton limit to 8,421 tons. As a result, fishing industries will be able to earn more profit and the cost of various seafoods including sushi are expected to decrease. Masayuki Komatsu, a former senior fellow at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy research, expressed his dissatisfaction with Japan’s approach to overfishing. “Japan’s Fishery Agencies mistakenly believe that listening to the wishes of fishermen is part of government administration. In reality, fishermen everywhere have the same attitude: If there are plenty of fish then let us catch more, and if not, let us catch even more.”
References:
https://www.tridge.com/news/japans-famous-fishing-area-exposed-bluefin-t-aapyrz
https://mutsushimpo.com/news/cfz0gbox/
https://www.nippon.com/en/guide-to-japan/gu900269/
https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/data-visualizations/2025/09/from-ship-to-shelf-the-pacific-tuna-trade-is-a-complex-global-business
https://www.tkfd.or.jp/research/detail.php?id=155