(Arirang News) Korea has flat-out rejected Japan's demand to restrict the catching of bluefin tuna.
A source from within Korea’s food ministry said Thursday that the ministry told the Japanese Embassy in Korea that it was difficult to accept the deal which would keep catches of young bluefin aged up to 3 years old below the 2002 to 2004 levels.
The ministry explained a great deal of bluefin tuna are caught unintentionally, while trying to catch other fish like mackerel.
Japan's request comes amid worries that Korean fishermen were not abiding by internationally agreed fishing quotas.
Japan’s fishing agency says that imports of tuna from Korea have swelled to over 13-hundred tons this year, but the Korean government explains that the recent spike is a result of the global warming that drew more bluefin tuna to Korean waters.