The price of premium tuna dishes will likely rise under an international commission’s recommendation to halve the catch of southern bluefin tuna in 2007 to prevent the depletion of the species.
The Canberra-based Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) said if catches of the popular tuna continue at their current pace, there is a 50-percent chance that all egg-laying southern bluefins will disappear by 2030.
The four member nations of the commission -
The CCSBT, which sets annual fishing quotas, was established in 1994 amid a worsening decrease of southern bluefin tuna.
The annual catch surpassed 80,000 tons in the 1960s, but excessive fishing has since depleted the stocks.
The total fishing quotas for southern bluefin tuna granted to fishing countries this year is 14,080 tons, including 6,065 tons for
The CCSBT suggested reducing the overall quota to 7,770 tons for 2007.
According to the Fisheries Agency, the majority of southern bluefin tuna caught by other countries is consumed in
Southern bluefins are a popular choice for chefs and restaurants that offer toro sushi and other expensive tuna dishes.
Although the prices for these dishes will certainly increase if the quota is reduced, an official at the Fisheries Agency noted that southern bluefin tuna accounts for only 3 percent of all tuna available in
â€It won’t cause a major disruption because tuna sashimi consumption is decreasing,†the official said.
A decision on the reduced quota will be officially determined at the CCSBT’s annual meeting in October in