Japan tries to ban new or expanded bluefin tuna ranches
(seafood.com) Japan has imposed tough restrictions on domestic farming of bluefin tuna as the young ones caught from the ocean for rearing in captivity do not get the chance to lay eggs thereby depleting stock of the high-demand fish.
The Fisheries Ministry has directed prefectural governments to ban domestic tuna farmers from creating new cultivation facilities or expanding existing ones from next month, Japanese media reported on Monday.
Domestic producers are increasingly raising bluefin tuna in captivity because stocks in the wild are declining.
Managing tuna resources has become a major global issue and analysts say the Ministry's move is aimed at fending off criticism from the international community.