| 1). |
Tuna are members of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. While the term for tuna in Japanese, maguro, strictly speaking refers only to Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis), it is normally also used to include fish such as yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and albacore, which are different species of the same family. Swordfish, which taxonomically belong to a different group, are also sometimes treated as a type of tuna. However, we do not include swordfish as tuna below.
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| 2). |
Tuna migrate extensively, and can be caught in large areas of the world’s oceans. The main fishing grounds include the North Atlantic, North Pacific, Midwest Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Tuna are caught in the largest numbers in the Midwest Pacific, and fleets operate off the coasts of numerous countries, including Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Papua New Guinea as well as Japan, the United States, South Korea, China and Taiwan. Some of the tuna caught in these waters are shipped to Japan after first being landed in the country near where they were caught, while others are transported directly to ports in Japan by super-low temperature refrigerator ships, which refrigerate their cargo at -60°C.
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| 3). |
There is no difference in quality between domestically caught and imported tuna. However, quality frequently varies according to the location of the catch, season, and method of transportation and preservation. Each species of tuna has its own characteristics, and there are large variations in price according to differences in flavor depending on the fattiness of the flesh, species, location of catch, and whether the fish is fresh or frozen. At the top end of the market is Pacific bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Hokkaido in the winter. The higher the latitude at which this type of tuna is caught, the fatter the meat and the higher the quality.
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| 4). |
Fresh tuna is less susceptible to the deterioration in taste that occurs when frozen tuna is thawed, and it retains its freshness for longer than frozen produce. It is therefore preferred by consumers.
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| 5). |
Tuna (excluding swordfish) can be broadly classified into the following five types:
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| a) | Pacific bluefin tuna |
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Pacific bluefin tuna is distributed in the northern hemisphere from the West Pacific (including Japan) to the East Pacific and Mediterranean. It is the largest type of tuna, and swims long distances at high speed. The medium fatty flesh from the upper belly (chutoro) and fatty flesh from the lower belly (otoro) have a strong, succulent taste, and are therefore used mainly for sushi and sashimi. They are also the most expensive parts.
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| b) | Southern bluefin tuna |
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Outside the spawning season, southern bluefin tuna is distributed in waters south of 30 degrees latitude south, and inhabits large swathes of temperate waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans in the southern hemisphere. While similar in appearance, texture and taste to Pacific bluefin tuna, it is smaller. Used for sushi and sashimi, it is the second most expensive type of tuna after Pacific bluefin.
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| c) | Bigeye tuna |
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With the exception of the Mediterranean, bigeye tuna is widely distributed throughout the world from tropical to temperate waters. It migrates between north and south to spawn and in search of feeding grounds. Its name comes from its large eyes. Smaller than Pacific bluefin, it inhabits areas of deep water. It is caught in the largest numbers, and its deep red meat has a somewhat characteristic taste. Its flesh yields fatty tuna that is cheaper than that of Pacific bluefin, and so is used mainly as a semi-luxury product for sushi and sashimi. It is the type that consumers are most familiar with.
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| d) | Yellowfin tuna |
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This also is found in seas throughout the world apart from the Mediterranean, in waters ranging from tropical to temperate, and is found in Japan south of Hokkaido. Its name comes from the yellow coloring of the flanks and fins. It is caught in the next largest numbers after bigeye tuna, and has pinkish flesh with a light flavor. It is relatively low priced, and is commonly eaten at home. As well as being used for sashimi, yellowfin tuna is also canned and used in fish sausages.
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| e) | Albacore |
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Found mostly in the open seas between 40 degrees latitude north and 40 degrees latitude south, it is the smallest type of tuna, and migrates long distances east to west and back. The soft flesh, which is a milky-white with little redness and has a light flavor, easily disintegrates, making it unsuitable for sashimi. It is therefore used primarily for canning and in frozen foods.
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| 6). |
Tuna is so much a part of the Japanese diet that there is practically no one who dislikes it. Japan is the world’s largest consumer of tuna for sashimi. Overseas, it is mostly canned for consumption, but if shipped to Japan for sashimi it can command a price 20-30 times that for canning. All the tuna that can be used as sashimi therefore floods into Japan. From the later 1980s to the 1990s, imports grew as a result of advances in refrigeration technology. With imports increasing, the supply of tuna on the Japanese market exceeds demand, and the retail price has dropped to a more reasonable level. Tuna’s image as a luxury food is therefore wanting, and it is now consumed on an everyday basis throughout the year.
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| 7). |
The Japanese market over the past few years has been as follows:
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1997 |
1999 |
2001 |
| Domestic catch |
338,901 |
329,499 |
292,908 |
| Exports |
31,179 |
38,307 |
26,876 |
| Imports |
367,728 |
364,058 |
400,540 |
Unit: tons
Sources: Annual Statistics on Fishery and Fish-Farming Production, Japan Trade Monthly
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| 8). |
Marine products such as tuna are imported as products that have been “brought into Japan as foreign freight”. Regardless of whether catches are caught by foreign-registered vessels or Japanese vessels, produce is treated as imported if it is brought into Japan after first being landed in another country. Fish caught by Japanese vessels in international waters is treated as domestic produce.
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| 9). |
Trends in imports of tuna in recent years are summarized below.
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1997 |
1999 |
2001 |
| Fresh/cold stored |
71,998 |
71,847 |
73,965 |
| Frozen |
104,041 |
133,908 |
119,441 |
| Fillets/fish meat |
62,870 |
48,250 |
56,235 |
| Total |
238,909 |
254,005 |
249,641 |
Unit: million yen
Source: Japan Trade Monthly
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| 10). |
The main sources of imports of tuna are as follows:
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2000 |
2001 |
Share (value) |
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Quantity |
Value |
Quantity |
Value |
| Taiwan |
95,250 |
51,124 |
105,312 |
52,264 |
20.9% |
| South Korea |
74,404 |
42,989 |
64,369 |
38,888 |
15.6% |
| Thailand |
37,318 |
10,103 |
44,462 |
11,567 |
4.6% |
| Indonesia |
22,530 |
16,708 |
26,844 |
17,509 |
7.0% |
| China |
19,225 |
11,202 |
22,574 |
13,109 |
5.3% |
| Others |
148,364 |
113,001 |
136,980 |
116,302 |
46.6% |
| Total |
397,091 |
245,127 |
400,541 |
249,639 |
100.0% |
Units: tons (quantity), million yen (value)
Source: Japan Trade Monthly
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| 11). |
Exports of tuna from Japan amounted to 26,876 tons in 2001. Exports of yellowfin tuna to Guam and Thailand and albacore to Thailand, South Africa and U.S.A. are for canning, fish sausages and the like.
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| 12). |
Imported tuna is generally transported in frozen, semi-dressed form (i.e. with the gills and entrails removed), as this is the best method of keeping it fresh for sashimi. The majority of whole tuna is imported frozen.
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| 13). |
When tuna is imported, it may be subject to the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law according to the type and method of transportation. Catches and imports are also subject to regulation under domestic laws, treaties and international conventions, such as the Law Regarding Regulation of Fishing by Foreigners and the Law Concerning Special Measures for Tuna Resources. Imports are in addition subject to the Food Sanitation Law regardless of type. Fresh fish and shellfish imported from cholera-infected areas are quarantined. Since April 2001, inspections have been conducted under the Food Sanitation Law. When sold, tuna is regulated under the Food Sanitation Law, JAS Law, Measurement Law, Container Recycling Law and the Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources.
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| 14). |
To reduce the risks due to factors such as variations in catches and stabilize supply, major trading companies and marine product producers, and major retailers and trading companies are teaming up to handle an increasing amount of farmed tuna. (These are produced by catching tuna with little fat after spawning and semi-grown tuna and fattening them in fish pens to increase their commercial value.) Farmed tuna are cheaper and of more stable quality than natural tuna, and can be supplied throughout the year. The most well known examples of farmed tuna are southern bluefin tuna from Australia and Pacific bluefin tuna from Croatia and Spain. However, obtaining sufficient feed for tuna farming is a problem.
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| 15). |
There is a strong probability that supply will decline overall as a result of the decline in domestic production due to the reduction in number of shipping vessels and tightening of regulations on purchasing from ships registered under flags of convenience. Recent years have also seen the tuna market spread to South Korea.
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