Mitsubishi Issues Statement On Sustainable Tuna Management ff

By Atuna

Mitsubishi Corporation, the world’s largest bluefin tuna trading company, issued an official statement about the Mediterranean bluefin stocks management.

The company emphasizes that those who have been involved in unsustainable fishing models should have “their livelihood protected” to ensure that the conservation measures will be taken and kept.

Mitsubishi has been deeply involved in bluefin tuna farming in Spain for many years, and by this statement it seems to seek government support or financial compensation for its joint venture partners which will possibly face unemployment when a drastic reduction in med bluefin fishing is imposed by ICCAT.

In a seafood publication, Greenpeace criticized Mitsubishi’s statement for not addressing what the NGO called any real action: “Mitsubishi has a responsibility not only to acknowledge the need for sustainable tuna, but to recognize when urgent measures to allow fish stocks to recover are needed”, Greenpeace said.

Below is the official statement which was issued by Mitsubishi:

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) believes the Mediterranean bluefin tuna stocks are in danger of being overfished if more effective conservation regulations are not imposed, and that to date the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCA T) has not been able to ensure the sustainability of bluefin tuna. MC is committed to sustainability in all of its activities including the sourcing of bluefin tuna and will actively engage all concerned parties to put into place effective and necessary measures. To that effect, while MC is only one link in the supply chain of bluefin tuna, MC will work with the Japan Fisheries Agency (JFA) for JFA to take a leading role in ICCAT to have ICCAT adopt quotas and other measures that are based on the findings of ICCAT'S Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS). We will also work with other Japanese bluefin tuna traders to support this position and will engage with our suppliers to assure that sustainable measures will be instituted. MC welcomes dialogue and co-work with all interested parties to achieve these goals.

While MC cannot effect these changes alone, we will do what we can to join those who are committed to sustainability and to encourage the governments who are parties to ICCAT to cause ICCAT to enact binding sustainable quotas and other required measures and to enact necessary legislation in their countries to contribute to sustainable fishing, including measures to protect the fishing communities from the adverse economic consequences of these measures.

MC recognizes that many people earn their livelihoods based on what is now an unsustainable model and unless their livelihoods are protected it will be difficult to ensure passage of the measures that are needed to be enacted to protect bluefin tuna.

Specifically, MC supports lower quotas, shorter seasons or increases in minimum size of tuna that can be fished as well as a full moratorium if that is the consensus of the scientific community and all interested parties, and if implemented as an international model that is fair, effective and enforceable.

If it becomes apparent that the sourcing of bluefin tuna cannot be carried out in a way that enables the industry to operate on a sustainable basis - protecting both the fish stock and the fishermen and their families whose livelihood depends on it - MC will reassess our involvement in this business.