(Seafood.com) Consumption of sashimi (raw) tunas in the countries and territories other than Japan in 2011 totaled about 150,000 tons, according to an estimate compiled based on a recent survey by OPRT. OPRT said this represented a sharp increase of 79% from 2007, when the previous survey was conducted.
By contrast, consumption in Japan, the largest sashimi tuna consumer in the world, was estimated to have plunged 21% to 300,000 tons during the same period, thus showing quite different trends in Japan and other countries.
OPRT, or the Organization for the Promotion of Responsible Tuna Fisheries, based in Tokyo, is joined by tuna related organizations around the world.
OPRT conducted an interview survey on its members and other tuna related organizations concerning the consumption in each country with a special emphasis on bluefin and bigeye tunas, the two major species used as sashimi.
Notably in the United States, where Japanese cuisine is gaining increasing popularity, consumption was estimated to have shot up by 80% to 90,000 tons.
OPRT Managing Director Yuichiro Harada explained that, in the U.S., sashimi tuna has now come to be sold in supermarkets not only in urban areas but also in regional areas.
In Korea, the second largest overseas consumer after the U.S., consumption seems to have gained 33% to 20,000 tons, followed by China, up 67% to 10,000 tons.
Demand for sashimi tuna is growing in Latin America as well, with, for example, sushi restaurants enjoying wider popularity in Ecuador, OPRT said.