Taiwan reaches 90% of bluefin tuna quota

台灣黑鮪魚配額已達90%

Fisheries Agency announces abrupt end of bluefin tuna season


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Agency announced that 90% of the bluefin tuna quota had been achieved, leading to the suspension of such fishing beginning on Wednesday (June 12).

The announcement caught many fishery-related groups, such as the Taiwan Tuna Longline Association (TTLA), off guard, with many fishers in Donggang complaining the ending of the season was too abrupt. They appealed to the Fisheries Agency for greater leniency and other supporting measures to prolong the season, per CNA.

TTLA President Lee Ming-hsin (李明信) told a CNA reporter on Monday (June 10) that he had received 40 to 50 calls from fishers complaining about the announcement. Although fishers can catch other fish, they primarily target high-value bluefin tuna.

Lee added that many fishers had planned to fish for bluefin tuna until June 21. Furthermore, much of the equipment and bait had been prepared, as well as the fishing routes for a final fishing expedition of the season.

TTLA will convene a meeting to consolidate local fishers' opinions to deliver to the Fisheries Agency, pleading for more time to operate under this year’s quota. Lee said a bumper harvest of bluefin tuna this year led to low prices, which did not translate into higher profits for fishers.

Tung Kang Fishermen's Association Director-General Cheng Yu-chen (鄭鈺宸) said this was the first time the Fisheries Agency announced an early end to the bluefin tuna season due to quota limits. Cheng said this is due to a rebound in bluefin tuna harvests, which dipped to a low of just 500 bluefin tuna caught in 2012, to 4,816 bluefin tuna caught as of Saturday (June 8) this year.

An estimated 800 bluefin tuna have been caught and have yet to enter ports in Taiwan, potentially accounting for the remaining quota. Market prices spiked by more than NT$100 (US$3) for bluefin tuna, closing between NT$250 and NT$300 per kilogram.

Cheng said official documents by the Fisheries Agency said 75% of the bluefin tuna quota was met on June 3, 80% was met by June 7, and 90% was achieved by June 9. Cheng said that local fishers were unprepared for a quick end to the season.

To avoid such problems in the future, it is recommended that the Fisheries Agency regularly update quota information in real time. This would give fishing associations more information to convey to fishers.

The latest Fisheries Agency press release on Saturday evening said Taiwan’s total catch quota for Pacific bluefin tuna in 2024 was 1,965 tons and 90% of it had been filled. Fishers catching fish on Monday and Tuesday (June 10-11) must report their catch within 24 hours.