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Revealed: the bid to corner world's bluefin tuna market

Mitsubishi freezing fish to sell later as stock numbers plummet toward extinction

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

Bluefin tuna is being over-fished and its numbers can't be sustained, scientists say

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Bluefin tuna is being over-fished and its numbers can't be sustained, scientists say

Japan's sprawling Mitsubishi conglomerate has cornered a 40 per cent share of the world market in bluefin tuna, one of the world's most endangered fish.

A corporation within the £170bn Mitsubishi empire is importing thousands of tonnes of the fish from Europe into Tokyo's premium fish markets, despite stocks plummeting towards extinction in the Mediterranean.

Bluefin tuna frozen at -60C now could be sold in several years' time for astronomical sums if Atlantic bluefin becomes commercially extinct as forecast, a result of the near free-for-all enjoyed by the tuna fleet.

In the forthcoming documentary film The End of the Line, Roberto Mielgo, a former bluefin fisherman who travels the world monitoring catches, claims that Mitsubishi buys and sells 60 per cent of the threatened fish and that it has expanded its freezer capacity to hold extra bluefin.

Mitsubishi acknowledges that it freezes bluefin, but only, it says, to even out peaks and troughs in supply.

"Mitsubishi Corporation handles between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna imported to Japan," the company told The Independent.

"As we explicitly explained to the makers of the film, the fishing season for bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean is very short, making it necessary to freeze tuna to provide customers with stable supplies throughout the year."

Fish stocks across the world are in retreat because of over-fishing. One study suggests oceans will be stripped clean of all fish by 2048. Bluefin is imminently at risk of commercial extinction. The wildlife charity WWF forecasts that breeding stocks of the fish that migrate from the Atlantic to spawn will be wiped out in the Mediterranean by 2012.

Although the legal bluefin catch is set at 22,000 tonnes, conservationists suspect the actual catch is 60,000 tonnes, four times the maximum that marine scientists recommend. After studying catches and sales, Charles Clover, the environmental journalist behind the film The End of the Line, believes that businesses involved in the ransacking are deep-freezing 20,000 tonnes of bluefin a year for later use.

He hopes his film will galvanise the public about over-fishing in the same way Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth mobilised opinion against climate change.

British retailers and chefs will not stock bluefin because it is so endangered. However, as disclosed in The Independent last week, the Japanese restaurant Nobu continues to serve it – while advising diners to choose a dish that is less environmentally damaging.

The fisheries body responsible for numbers, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), sanctioned a bluefin catch of 22,000 tonnes this year in defiance of its own scientists who advised no more than 8,500-15,000 tonnes.

WWF said the decision was a "disgrace". In fisheries circles, ICCAT is sometimes referred to as the International Conspiracy to Catch All Tuna. Rules forbidding the use of spotter planes to identify tuna shoals are flouted and boats are thought to have connections to organised crime in Italy.

Willie Mackenzie, a Greenpeace fish campaigner, said: "Mitsubishi are best known in the UK for making cars or electrical goods – and for most people it comes as a bit of a shock to find out they are one of the world's biggest traders in the endangered bluefin tuna. Bluefin tuna are as endangered as rhinos or tigers."

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Comments

blue fin tuna
[info]chinmonkeymetal wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 12:28 am (UTC)
its just mans ignorance and greed that is making the Blue Fin Tuna extinct. Once in a blue moon a wild animal will escape from a zoo and people will panic kidded on by the media. The most dangerous animal on the planet is man. And in the non distant future he will bring his own destruction.
Re: blue fin tuna
[info]vhawk1951 wrote:
Thursday, 4 June 2009 at 07:28 pm (UTC)
seconded
Big surprise
[info]richard_kefalos wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 01:24 am (UTC)
Why is anyone surprised at this? Every animal that the Orientals settle on in some way or other is rapidly headed for extinction. Bears' and tigers' gall bladders are used in Chinese "medicine", powdered rhino horn as an aphrodsiac for the Chinese (as if they can't seem to reproduce well enough with their 1.3 billion people,) the Japanese who have driven the whales to the brink of extinction for their hunting under the cover of "research," the Taiwanese fishing trawlers that spread their killer nets across the Pacific, fishing the oceans dry and killing everything that gets stuck in their nets, etc. etc. etc.

Unfortunate the species that attracts the attention of the Orientals, it will soon be gone. At least dogs and cats are not endangered so at least the Orientals can eat those to their hearts' content (yecchh.)
Re: Big surprise
[info]ss749 wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 02:49 am (UTC)
Yes all the "Orientals" are the harbingers of the extinction explosion of the last several decades. Not that the "Occidentals" are free and clear of the ravages to the environment. Mind the Western Diet that is so aligned with such enlightened perspective.
Re: Big surprise
[info]cites_king wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 10:45 am (UTC)
There' no room for oriental-bashing here. The EU, which prides itself on it's environmental credentials, led the charge for the excessive quota agreed at ICCAT and bullied smaller countries into withdrawing their objections by threatening trade sanctions. Mediterranean fishermen make a lot of money from selling these fish to Japan and many Europeans and Americans eat bluefin when they can get it. EU fishing fleets are among the most rapacious in the world and EU fisheries policy is reactionary.
Re: Big surprise
[info]fisherman_dave wrote:
Thursday, 4 June 2009 at 06:35 pm (UTC)
The problem is the ICCAT, as much as anyone, they have so much to answer, the ideal would be near to what their own commission report stated, a closure of the fishery until the fleet is reduced to a sensible capacity for the fisheries limits, I also believe that the capacity of the landed to, fattening cages, "farms" is for too large (62,302 tonnes) when the landing quota is 22,000 tonnes, we also need officals recording each landing.
There are 70 farm registered and they too should be given a share of the Quota and a list of vessels that can land to them.
In reply to "boycott" add Spain to that list, it only offically reported two thirds of its catch.
davidcharlesboden@yahoo.com
Re: Big surprise
[info]telecaster251 wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 01:52 pm (UTC)
I'm not adressing your points - just wanted to let you know that the proper term is 'Asians'.

'Oriental' refers to rugs and dolls. Carry on...
Re: Big surprise
[info]nobody_gets_it wrote:
Sunday, 14 June 2009 at 03:11 am (UTC)
Dude, wtf?? Blaming Asians for the overfishing of tuna that goes on IN EUROPE!!! I'll repeat what cites_king said: "EU fishing fleets are among the most rapacious in the world," and that's a fact. Humans are all equally capable of gross gross foolishness and short-sightedness, and ethnicity has nothing to do with it.
Not PC but Accurate....
[info]melshells wrote:
Tuesday, 16 June 2009 at 09:42 pm (UTC)
You may not like it, because it's very un-PC, but posters who slam the Japanese for their worldwide policies of exploitation of marine resources (and terrestrial) are essentially correct. It's very accurate. The Japanese controlling and exploiting the Mediterranean and European Tuna markets? You betcha.

Don't mistake these hard-core, fact based opinions (like mine) for any sort of 'racist' projection. Think of this way: You know how many Europeans profess to hate the (at least) pre-Obama Bush administration US, but differentiate between 'government' and 'people'? It's like that.

I'm talking specifically about the HUGELY powerful Japanese business interests/ fishing industry lobbyists influencing- and yes since the mid 90's actually flagrantly LYING about tuna catch quotas and throwing huge amounts of money around the world to essentially due what ever they need to get as much bluefin tuna as they want, sustainability be dammed. (I mean, whose 'making up' a market to kill whales under the auspices of scientific research? How transparent is that..)

Don't get me wrong- I'm no apologist for ICCAT and the wimpy, ridiculously blind, fishing industry beholden representatives the US sends to these commissions. But hands down, the Japanese vested industry representatives aren't even interested in PRETENDING that Tuna populations are crashing. It's flagrant self-interest that is leading to extinction before our eyes.

Yes, boycott all Mitsubishi's products. (But tell them why.) But as previous posters pointed out, our efforts as consumers may not work unless we really tackle the big laws, big commissions, and others that supposedly 'monitor' the activity of the fishing industries.

God, I really hope the Bluefin survives. They are flippin' beautiful, wonderous animals.
Boycott
[info]thunnus wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 01:35 am (UTC)
Mitsubishi is a disgrace.

It might be a good time to boycott all of Mitsubishi's products. Likewise it is probably time line up others who are complacent in this trade including products/services originating from Turkey, Malta, France, and Italy.
[info]tonysmyth wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 01:48 am (UTC)
The Orientals eh? Every animal? Cats and dogs? Thats a pretty broad brush you're painting with there you racist.
Time to give up tuna sandwiches and fish sushi
[info]rockcliffe wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 02:01 am (UTC)
If we didn't eat tuna any more, how long would this irresponsibility go on ? It seems that major corporations can't resist emptying the oceans. The bottomline is more important than survival of our ecosystems...and ourselves. The only thing that might help would be the evaporation of the huge international market for fish. (Local traditional fishing might then have a chance to survive). It's time for a popular mass movement, starting with ourselves. Individual by individual, household by household...
Re: Time to give up tuna sandwiches and fish sushi
[info]corporeal4now wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 07:52 am (UTC)

The Japanese dont export the tuna. If you stop eating tuna and fish it wont make a difference. Japan has the appetite to consume all the fish you can throw at it.

Need something like an international fisheries police (this may already exists and are not doing their job effectively) to enable the survival of struggling species of sea life.
Re: Time to give up tuna sandwiches and fish sushi
[info]palmersperry wrote:
Thursday, 4 June 2009 at 03:44 pm (UTC)
(1) Stop eating the tuna is a necessary first step, it helps to be on the moral high ground when you move onto ...
(2) Boycott the products and services of the Japanese companies that are engaged in the Bluefin Tuna trade.

If enough people do this then said corporations will either change their ways or go out of business.

Optional part (3) support Sea Shepherd? :-)
Blue fin tuna
[info]rodon2001 wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 02:35 am (UTC)
Maybe it might be a good idea to shed light on a positive aspect of the matter instead of inciting animosity against a particular nation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/10/AR2009031000677.html
Greed Merchants
[info]over325one wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 06:36 am (UTC)
Never ever but Mitsubishi again. Never!
if you love something how can you eradicate it?
[info]acidpen wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 06:44 am (UTC)
i had no idea about the plight of the tuna.

Tuna is without doubt my favorite food in the world and i had noticed a lack of it at fish counters across Europe, but stupidly had never put one and one together. Now i know the situation she is off MY menu. I will never consume her again, which is a pity, but it is all we consumers can promise to do.

-ALL of us CONSUMERS of EVERY NATION-

but i doubt we will and it makes me very sad that once again we will be saying goodbye to another glorious species, further narrowing the planets diversification ,removing another colour from our landscape.

Yet another nail in our own coffin, thumped in with our own thick heads.
[info]andy108 wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 06:44 am (UTC)
People need to be educated to develop compassion and a caring attitude -if not we are all finished-not just the tuna.
[info]cm999 wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 07:18 am (UTC)
What else would they do. THey are a commercial organisation that is out to make a profit. THis is just pure capitalism at work
MAdness!
[info]mowfalmighty wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 08:10 am (UTC)
This sums up the whole problem of modern humanity's relationship wiht the environment; using extinction as a marketing ploy to make a few bucks, to say this is cynical marketing is the understatement of the millenium, this is sick bahaviour, insanity really. If a person acted in this way they would be locked up in a padded roomand givne therpay, because it as corporation they are getting away wiht it. Why are corporations allowed to act is this sociopathic manner? It beggars belief.
Its time like this when you realise that humanity is doomed.
Fishing to eat
[info]codheaddave wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 08:11 am (UTC)
I consider myself fortunate that as a reasonably accomplished sea angler, I never have to buy fish, I catch all that I eat. I never fish for species that aren't edible, that's why I only fish in the sea and even then I won't fish for conger or shark species, simply because I don't like to eat them. We have two freezers at home. dedicated to fish, they're currently full of bass, bream, turbot, brill, cod & pollack. Little is wasted, once filleted, I then poach the heads & frames and use the recovered meat for fishcakes. The belly flaps of cod & pollack make excellent REAL fish fingers. We eat fish 3-4 times a week and I can't remember the last time I bought fish from either a chippy, fishmonger or restaurant.

I consider that what I am doing is sustainable, even my partner's sister, who is a rabid veggie, understands the rationale. Fish-farming is not sustainable, simply due to the amount of bait-fish taken to process into fish pellets. I refuse to eat Danish bacon products because I can taste fish from the sandeel that is caught to feed the pigs.

I've no doubt that I will be labelled as hyprocritical but I can live with what I'm doing.
Idea
[info]honestjohn_101 wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 10:01 am (UTC)
The oceans are doomed. Regulatory bodies ignore the scientific recommendations, fishing consortiums ignore the regulatory bodies, and the result? Complete destruction of species (and hence food chains) that have until now proved surprisingly resistant given how long they've been over-exploited.

Of course a legally enforced large-scale reduction in fishing would have a big impact on the millions of people employed in the industry world-wide, with big social implications. But there is a choice. If a reduction in fishing intensity happens now there is the prospect of a return to (more sustainable) fishing once fish stocks have recovered in the future, and the industry can survive. If there is no reduction in fishing intensity then the mass unemployment will still occur, just a few years later, with fish stocks irreparably reduced, and no prospect of a future for fishing.

To support our planet, and our fellow man, we as citizens need to act now to demand change, and effect changes in our consumer patterns to give the impetus to big corporations to stop their destructive activities.

Or we can just all wait to see what they can drag out of the deep marine trenches for us to eat once there's nothing left in the rest of the ocean.
Policing
[info]cjmpink wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 10:04 am (UTC)
If Bluefin tuna is an endangered species then there should be NO catches allowed at all! More has to be directed towards policing catches and controlling the black market. Penalties for flouting the law should be such that they would cancel out any profits.
More companies should be exposed so that consumers can make informed decisions when deciding who to purchase from. Consumers should also be boycotting tuna or better still it should be illegal to sell tuna as well as catch it.
no mitsubishi car
[info]tomdorfl wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 10:51 am (UTC)
Looking for a new car - this article eliminated Mitsubishis from my list. Suggest others avoid their products.
I am finished.
[info]gloriapower wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 11:53 am (UTC)
I did not eat tuna for years. Then they straightened out issues regarding nets and numbers. Now I must discontinue eating tuna again and not buy a TV.
HERE
[info]joycekane wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 02:22 pm (UTC)
_ Black white connect.c'om _Best interracial dating site in the world! It's where diversely ethnic singles meet new friends, make great dates, and build lasting interracial relationships. No matter you are looking for a NSA or serious relationship, you'll have to check it out!
Re: HERE
[info]codheaddave wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 06:48 pm (UTC)
now, if you ever fancied a fish supper, I could be tempted :-)
Re: HERE
[info]dochumboldt wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 08:03 pm (UTC)
And this has what to do with tuna?
Re tuna sandwiches and sushi
[info]rockcliffe wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 02:33 pm (UTC)
It's not just the bluefish tuna that's in trouble. Here in Canada, major fish species - above all, the iconic cod of Newfoundland - are in crisis due to overfishing. If fish became less fashionable outside Japan (let alone inside Japan), it would indeed make a significant difference to the survival of ocean species...and ourselves. We're not innocent, but we're not helpless either. We can change things.
blue fin tuna
[info]farbeda wrote:
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 at 10:55 pm (UTC)
here is the comment website for Mitsubishi Corp - Corporate Citizenship feedback
LET HER RIP PEOPLE - Tell them you won't be using or buying their products. I know I won't and I'm going to stop eating tuna.

https://secure.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/contact/req/init.do?receipt_pattern=req-01-002&receipt_country=jp&receipt_lang=en&receipt_department=210
boykot Mitsubishi!
[info]leciaramelle wrote:
Thursday, 4 June 2009 at 06:44 am (UTC)
Given that Mitsubishi corners the market and takes up the double of the annual fixed quota for tuna, why not stop buying Mitsubishi cars? if you stop eating tuna, the impact is not so great, but if you do not buy a car what would the impact be? think of how many tuna tins is a car worth! I think that WWF should propose that;
Tuna fishing etc
[info]kasho1 wrote:
Thursday, 4 June 2009 at 07:54 am (UTC)
This is a very disturbing story. The main issue is a cultural one. As long as people demand Blue fin Tuna and other fish in Japan and other places, Mitsubishi will continue to overfish. Consumers have to be educated with regards to healthy living and embracing vegeterianism as far as possible.
How can populations be culturally challenged? This is the main issue of our lifetime
Tuna
[info]delphinus12 wrote:
Thursday, 4 June 2009 at 05:10 pm (UTC)
What the hell is the point of INFORMING people of the endangered Bluefin then "sponsoring" links further down the page (fresh Tuna marlin Loins)??????????????????? Unreal!!!!
bloody Japanese
[info]vhawk1951 wrote:
Thursday, 4 June 2009 at 07:33 pm (UTC)
if it's not whales it's tuna or rhinos or tigers
Bluefin Tuna
[info]joleeks wrote:
Thursday, 19 November 2009 at 11:51 am (UTC)
Who wants to catch the last fish? Without fish, millions of people across the world will face malnutrition as they depend upon fish as their main or sole source of protein. We should adopt "local only" policies and no-take zones to ensure stability of fish stocks for current and future generations.


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